
PROFST 




ByEDWtNr.DeiCKE 



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Class 



Book (^^ Jy U 



CopyrightNi 



CTDEffilGHT DEFOSai 





EDWIN F DEICKE 



CAVIES 




For Pleasure and Profit 



The greatest collection of 
information pertaining to 
Cavies ever published. 

An Encyclopaedia of valuable 

knowledge for the amateur 

as well as professional 

breeder of Cavies. 



BY 



EDWIN F. DEICKE 

Illustrated 






G^ 






COPYRIGHT 1917 

BY 
EDWIN F. DEICKE 



©CI.A453687 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

1 . Introduction 7 

2. Characteristics of the Cavy 8 

3. The Origin of the Cavy 12 

4. The Commercial Use of Cavies 13 

5. Why the Cavy is such a wonderful Pet 16 

6. Where Cavies thrive best 18 

7. Proper Housing for Cavies 21 

8. Hutches and how to build them 23 

9. How to keep record of your stock 35 

10. What Cavies eat and what they should eat 38 

1 1 . Correct Breeding Methods 44 

12. Line-Breeding, Cross-Breeding and In-Breeding 50 

13. Diseases — -Their Prevention and Cure 55 

14. The value of buying stock direct from the Breeder 60 

1 5 . The Great Demand for Cavies 63 

16. Cavies preferable to other Pet Stock, Poultry and Pigeons 65 

17. How to Exhibit Cavies and what it means 67 

18. How to market Cavies and what prices to expect 72 

19. Advertising and Selling 74 

20. How to transport Cavies 76 

2 1 . How to Start 79 

22. The Cavy Breeder's Ten Commandments 81 

23. Different Varieties 82 

24. Notes of interest regarding the Cavy Industry 94 

25. Conclusion . . . .- 97 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE 
AND PROFIT 

INTRODUCTION 

Many booklets, circulars, etc., have been written about 
the useful little cavy, but never in the history of this 
pleasant and profitable hobby has the cavy received due 
consideration. No book has ever been written in this 
country giving all the information and necessary advice 
pertaining to this splendid source of profit and recreation. 

The cavy offers unlimited opportunities to any man, 
woman or child. The cavy industry is just in its infancy 
and for this reason the writer has taken it upon himself 
to write a complete book about the cavy and the wonder- 
ful opportunity it offers. This book is not published with 
the idea of getting rich through the sale of it, but on the 
other hand it is published for the sake of promoting this 
clean sport, as well as creating an even greater demand 
for the cavy. 

The field is new; the opportunities are great; the profits 
are handsome, the expenses are small; therefore is it not 
the duty of some experienced cavy fancier to get busy 
and interest people in this new field? The writer feels 
confident that any person who intends to breed cavies, or 
is already a breeder of cavies, can not help but derive a 
whole lot of benefit from the information contained in 
this book. 

The cavy, because of its charming features, is liked by 
everybody who comes in contact with it. Once a person 
becomes interested in cavies, he usually remains a fancier 
for the rest of his life. It is this human appeal which the 
cavy possesses that is largely responsible for the true and 
enthusiastic fanciers of today. 



mz 'rif^''^^'" BACK 




HiNDaw'\RrERS 



SIDE ^oF BODY HIND FEET 

Outline of Cavy 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CAVY 

To begin with we will explain very thoroughly what 
the cavy (commonly known as the guinea pig) is, and 
what it looks like. The above illustration gives a good 
idea of the shape and size of the cavy. The cavy is a little 
animal which when three months old usually weighs from 
14 to 20 ounces. Full grown cavies from the age of six 
months and up usually weigh from 24 to 35 ounces, vary- 
ing of course according to their condition. 

Characteristics: Blunt nose; short ears; which 
should neither stand upright nor hang down, but extend 
straight away from the head as is shown in the above 
illustration. Their eyes are very prominent. They have 
four toes on their forefeet and three on their hind feet. 
The toes are free from web, their nails being neither long, 
nor sharp. There are two peculiar things about the 
cavy, they have no tail, and need no water. 

The cavy is an animal in a class by itself, but has 
practically the same characteristics as the rabbit; it 
thrives on almost the same food and is considered a pet 
the same as a rabbit, only the cavy is harmless in that it 
does not scratch nor bite like rabbits, nor does it appear 
to be half as wild as the rabbit, and therefore makes a 
splendid pet. 

It is absolutely the most prolific, healthy, hardy and 
also the most profitable of all animals in the pet stock 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

industry. This is a very broad and open statement but 
it is nevertheless a fact and based on the statements and 
records of successful breeders and fanciers. Because this 
little animal is contented with a very small supply of food, ( 
takes up very little room, looks neat and beautiful at all 
times, and when you consider the constant demand for 
them you can readily see what the opportunities in this 
field are. 

Those who will become interested in this pleasant and 
profitable work will commence to enjoy the pleasure and 
profits as soon as the first few dollars are invested in them, 
and it will be an investment no person will ever regret. 
By investing a little spare money in cavies, you take 
absolutely no risk, because there is everything to gain and 
nothing to lose. 

The cavy comes in many different colors, such as pure 
white, black, red, creams, chocolates, blue, brindle, t 
tortoise, (consisting of red and black parts) and the 
tortoise and white, (consisting of black, red and white). 
The tortoise and white cavies are really very pretty, but 
excellent care must be exercised in breeding them in order 
to obtain beautiful marked colors. The subject of correct 
breeding will be explained thoroughly under the subject 
of "Correct Breeding Methods." 

Then we also have the Agoutis' which come in a // 
golden grey and a silver grey. The silver grey Agoutis 
have almost the same color as wild rabbits, but are very 
pretty and many prefer them. The golden grey Agouti 
in color is similar to that of a squirrel. The Agoutis are 
winning favor and many comments among the cavy breed- 
ers and fanciers, because of their beauty and scarcity. 

Then there are also the Peruvians and Abyssinians. 
Both of these two varieties should be grouped in a class 
by themselves, because they differ so much from the 
English cavy, and are not used for laboratory purposes, 
etc., because of their scarcity and beauty. 

The Peruvians are very pretty because of their beauti- 
ful long silky hair, and when the Peruvians are kept in 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

condition and proper attention is paid to their fur, they 
are considered the best in cavies. The price of Peruvians 
is usually a good deal higher than the price of English 
cavies, because they play so important a part as pets and 
are well liked by children. They also cause unusual com- 
ment at exhibitions. The white Peruvians, if kept in nice 
clean hutches and if their fur gets proper attention, are 
without a question the most beautiful of all pets. The 
time will soon be here when the white Peruvians will be 
considered the best pet animals. The Peruvians also come 
in other colors, such as solid red, and mixed colors. 

The Abyssinian is another one of the cavies which 
should be considered in a class by itself, for they as well 
as the Peruvian are so different from the English cavy. 
The Abyssinian does not have long and silky hair like 
the Peruvian, but on the other hand its fur is divided into 
rosettes, and the more rosettes (that is beautiful divisions 
of the fur into the shape of a rose) the prettier the Abys- 
sinian is considered to be. The Abyssinians come in solid 
colors, as well as in many broken colors. The Abyssinians 
like the Peruvians are fast commencing to hold their own 
among Pet Stock. 

Among the scarcer class of cavies we also have the 
Dutch and Himalayan cavies. These also come under 
iEe class of smooth haired or English cavies and their 
scarcity is due largely to the difficulty in obtaining the 
correct markings. The Himalayan cavies like the Him- 
alayan rabbits are indeed very pretty. 

The Himalayans when young are pure white and later 
on their ears, nose, forelegs and hind legs will turn into 
black; when this correct marking is obtained you have 
indeed something to be proud of. 

The Dutch marked cavy consists of black and white 
and red and white markings. The correct markings of the 
Dutch marked cavy as well as those of the Himalayan are 
fully explained under "Different Varieties." 

Cavies may be kept in the basement during the Winter, 
or outdoors in the Summer, although good results are 

10 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

obtained by keeping them in a good dry ventilated base- 
ment all year round. The cavy like any other animal or 
human being, in order to enjoy perfect health, should get 
all the fresh air possible, of course avoiding a draft, which 
might result in a cold. 

Cavies always seem happy and prolific, no matter 
where you keep them. Some people have the idea that 
cavies will keep away rats like the ferret; this story how- 
ever has no foundation and is not true. On the other hand 
if rats will get into a hutch containing youngsters, they 
are sure to kill or carry off all they can get hold of. 



\ 



THE ORIGIN OF THE CAVY 

To establish the complete and true origin of the cavy 
seems to be impossible ; although much research work has 
been done to establish facts along this line. As far as we 
are able to learn the cavy was introduced in Europe during 
the 16th Century, by the Spanish people returning from 
South America, principally from the Peru and Bolivia 
Regions, where the Spaniards found the natives using 
them mostly for food. They were introduced into the 
United States shortly after being introduced in the Old 
Country, being brought over by emigrants who settled 
in the New World. 

Shortly after the cavy made its appearance in England, 
it became very popular and soon made its way into the 
show rooms, and since then it has become so popular that 
no Pet Stock show is complete without an exhibition of 
cavies in all varieties. Some of the men in England, who 
are greatly responsible for the present popularity of the 
cavy are the following: Mr. C. A. House; Mr. E. Lank- 
ford, Mr. J. Walker, Mr. A. Garden, Mr. G. Billett, Mr. 
Alf Outhwaite, Mr. H. H. Brown, Mr. A. Roberts, and 
many others. These men as well as a number of other 
true cavy fanciers in England, put forth endless efforts 
to produce a high-grade cavy, worthy of the show-room, 
and as a result of their efforts, the cavy has made its 
appearance in practically every show-room in the world, 
and creates interest and enthusiasm wherever shown. 

The great shortage of cavies both for commercial 
purposes and pets assures the Breeder of a steady market 
at all times. The demand is always greater than the 
supply. 



12 



THE COMMERCIAL USE OF CAVIES 

The cavy like any other animal has its purpose. There 
is no other animal anywhere near the size of the cavy that 
has as many commercial purposes. Considering the little 
food it consumes, the small room it occupies and the little 
time it takes to look after them, there is no other animal 
that can produce like the cavy. The cavy has many com- 
mercial uses; being used principally for pets, laboratory 
purposes, fur and food. 

Now let us go back to the laboratory for a moment. 
The laboratory as well as hospitals and medical colleges, 
etc., if nothing else, alone are enough to offer the breeder 
of cavies a handsome profit. However, owing to the 
scarcity of cavies at the present time, little stock can be 
sold to the laboratory because the breeders are able to 
obtain much higher prices by selling them for breeders 
and pet stock. Therefore the present breeder of cavies 
sends only the culls to the laboratory ; that is, such stock 
which may not have the proper markings in order to ob- 
tain good prices, or may not be fit for exhibition. The 
poorly marked ones will serve their purpose in the labora- 
tory just as well as the fancy and properly marked stock. 

In the above mentioned institutions they are used 
principally for testing antitoxins and serums, before they 
are given to patients suffering from diphtheria and tuber- 
culosis. All medicines must be very carefully tested before 
given to patients. The cavy is about the only animal that 
really serves this purpose satisfactorily, because the 
animals required for this purpose must be hardy and in 
the best of health, and there is no other animal which is 
known to be as hardy, prolific and healthful as the cavy. 

Many hospitals, laboratories and medical colleges, 
however, breed their own cavies, because they are unable 
to obtain all the stock they need from the breeders, that 
is, they are unable to get them when they want them. 
These institutions do not raise their own cavies for the 
sake of the money they save by it, but principally be- 
cause of the fact that they do not want to take any 

13 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

chances on running short of stock. While conferring with 
the Registrar of one of the large Medical Colleges he made 
the assertion that there are times when they are unable 
to obtain healthy young stock at any price, and it is for 
this reason that many of these institutions breed their 
own cavies, and they abide by the statement of "safety 
first." 

But if a breeder can assure any of the above institu- 
tions a steady supply of healthy young stock from two 
to five months old, he will have no trouble whatever in 
making a contract with some laboratory to furnish a 
certain amount of stock whenever it is desired by the 
laboratory at good prices. In pet stock magazines you 
can always find want ads by such breeders who make a 
specialty of buying them up for the laboratories with 
whom they have contracts. These also pay good prices 
for them. It will take a long time to make up for the great 
shortage created by the Great European War, where they 
have been used by the "Wholesale" for testing medicines 
given to the suffering soldiers. Those who will see the 
opportunity of this new industry will certainly be assured 
of a most profitable future. 

The rich and luxurious fur which the cavy possesses 
is surely not to be overlooked. Its fur is beautiful and 
soft as velvet. But the time has not yet come when the 
cavies fur will be used more generally and the quality of 
the fur more appreciated. Only but a few cavy breeders 
ever thought of the possibilities that the fur market in 
this line will offer when it has been developed to such a 
point that the Tanneries will make a universal demand and 
plea for their fur; and this is bound to happen, for the 
very reason that the wild fur animals are getting scarcer 
every day, and why can't the cavy serve this purpose as 
well? Surely the fur of the cavy is of high quality and will 
to a certain extent take the place of the scarcer varieties 
of wild fur animals. The cavies' fur is especially well 
adapted for gloves, caps and many other articles where fur 
of this nature is essential, and just as soon as the scarcity 
of the cavy has been overcome and there are sufficient 
breeders of cavies, then the fur market will be more thor- 
oughly developed. 

14 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

It may also interest the reader to know that the cavy 
will furnish a most delicious and wholesome meal, fit for 
any King. Its meat is of a rich flavor, tasting even better 
than the meat of young rabbits. Ask any expert on food 
chemistry and see what he has to say about the meat of 
the cavy and whether or not he would recommend it as 
food. If he is an honest man in his profession, he will 
surely tell you that the meat of the cavy is not only 
delicious, but also wholesome. Cavies can be prepared 
for the table the same as rabbits or chickens. 



WHY THE CAVY IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PET 

Among the pet stock is where the cavy really shines 
and sparkles. Why shouldn't it? It is by far the best 
little pet animal now in existence. The cavy unlike most 
other animals does not scratch nor bite. Is not this one 
of the most important features in pet stock? Of what 
other animal is this true? This is the principal reason 
why it is such a wonderful little pet and that it wins its 
way into the children's hearts. 

The cavy because of its smallness in size and its soft 
fur, and because it is perfectly harmless is in reality 
a child's pet. Children do love to play with these innocent 
little creatures, and there is nothing better than pet 
stock to occupy their minds and time during spare 
moments. 

Boys who are going to school can find no better recrea- 
tion than in cavies. As a rule boys who have a liking and 
sympathy for pets, seldom commit crime, but on the other 
hand possess a good deal of character. Cavies are not only 
a source of recreation but at the same time offer a good 
deal of profit, if properly managed. 

The cavy owing to its beauty and attractiveness and 
the possibilities connected therewith is a living adver- 




These Children consider the Cavies as important as the Goat. There is no 
better pastime and recreation for Children than Pet Animals 

16 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

tisement in itself, and as a rule cavy breeders have to do 
little advertising to dispose of their surplus stock. And 
if they are raising them on a large scale, and a little attrac- 
tive literature is gotten out, you will find that orders are 
received faster than they can be filled. 

Whenever you have any stock that looks exception- 
ally good all around, it is of great importance that they 
be shown at the local as well as large poultry and pet 
stock exhibitions. The subject of exhibiting will be 
treated very carefully under the heading of "How to 
Exhibit Cavies and what it Means." 

For complete fanciness and pleasure, the White 
Abyssinian and Peruvian are the most popular and in 
the greatest demand. These two classes usually cause a 
lot of comment at the shows, and are very popular with 
women and children. 



\7 



WHERE CAVIES THRIVE BEST 

Where do cavies thrive best? This to tell the truth 
is really a foolish question. Cavies will thrive anywhere, 
be it in North America or South America. No climate 
has yet been discovered in which the cavy will not thrive 
and^show its active spirit. 

Originally as we all know, the native home of the cavy 
was in South America, where they were accustomed to a 
rather warm climate. Since its first appearance in 
America, the cavy has proven from time to time that it 
can live and thrive equally well almost anywhere in the 
world, and especially since we know definitely that the 
cavy is being bred and raised with great success by 
fanciers in Europe as well as in America and in other 
countries also, there is no further question about the 
climate in which it can live. It is, however, naturally 
understood that the cavy which is being raised in the 
extreme cold parts of the country such as Alaska and 
the northern part of Canada will not do quite as well as 
the cavy which is bred in any part of the United States. 

The best way of overcoming the cold weather, and keep- 
ing raw winds from the cavy is to keep them in the basement 
during the months when it is extremely cold. The base- 
ment if dry and "not damp" is an ideal heme for the 
cavies and here is where they seem to feel at home and 
thrive best. However, here is where the wom.an folks 
usually also have their say; if your wife, mother or sister 
is not interested in cavies, she is liable to close the door 
on you and tell you that her basement is no place for a 
stock farm, and that she doesn't want these dirty things 
in the house. Here we want to encourage you a little, 
dear reader, and try to help you to overcome this difficulty. 
First of all it is necessary to clean up one side of the wall 
in the basement which has one or several windows, then if at 
all possible put a partition through your basement extending 
from one end to the other of the basement walls. In the 
event however, that you do not have four windows in 
your basement, you want to see that whatever section 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

you may select for your cavies must absolutely have a 
window, because a cavy will not thrive as well, if it does 
not get enough fresh air, and it is not advisable to keep 
them in a dark place. This partition will not cost very 
much and it is certainly advisable to section off a portion 
of the basement for the exclusive use of your cavies, if 
at all possible. By dividing off about one-fourth of your 
space in the basement you can readily see how much 
room there is left for other purposes. 

We recommend the hutches as illustrated in the sub- 
ject of "Hutches and How to Build Them" for use in 
the basement, these of course can be taken out doors in 
the summer time. However, if the women folks object 
to keeping them in the basement then explain to them 
the cleanliness of these little animals, and also that you 
are going to keep things in a sanitary condition, because 
it is usually for this reason that most women will not 
permit them to be kept in the basement. 

I know of many women who would not permit their 
boys or husbands to keep them in the basement but after 
they once get interested in the harmless and useful 
creature, they soon commence to like them, and why 
shouldn't they? Cavies are much cleaner and more 
"pet like" and useful than dogs or cats. Try to get 
your mother or wife to take an interest in them, and you 
will find that in a short time they will be more interested 
even than you are. However, if you have a fairly warm 
barn, that will answer the purpose just as well; but the 
basement is preferable for the reason that you don't 
have to step out of the house to feed them in the winter. 
When kept in a fairly warm place during the winter 
months, they will do just as well as during the summer 
months. 

It is really important that you keep your cavies in a 
nice clean place with pleasant and sanitary surroundings, 
not only for the sake of making an impression on visitors, 
but also to get them in good condition for the Fall and 
Winter Pet Stock Shows, which are held all over the 
country. If you expect to do any exhibiting at the local 

19 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

or large shows held in metropolitan cities, you should be 
especially careful to see that each animal you expect to 
enter, is kept in a perfectly clean hutch with a lot of hay 
in it at least a month before you will send them away to 
the show. It is however most advisable to keep them in 
good condition at all times whether you expect to par- 
ticipate in the shows or not. 

In the Summer time the open out-door is the most 
suitable place for the cavy, because it gives them all the 
fresh air they want, and besides nearly everybody has 
more room outside than inside. It is very important 
however, that they be kept out of strong winds and they 
must not get wet by rain. The wind is apt to give them 
the snuffles and rain is apt to spoil their fur as well as 
make them sick. 

The hutches if possible should be placed on the south 
side of the barn or house; by doing so you avoid the wind 
a good deal and at the same time you are able to offer 
your cavies the bright sunlight most of the day. The 
sun as we all know is the best that nature can offer to 
any man or beast, and it certainly applies to the cavy as 
well as to any other animal, and as long as it doesn't cost 
a bit more, why not give them all the sunshine they want 
during the summer months. 

It is very important of course that you keep your 
hutches securely locked, so no dog or cat or any other 
animal can get at them, since the cavy is not a fighter, 
but rather peaceful and will not offer resistance to its 
enemies. 



20 



PROPER HOUSING FOR CAVIES 

Correct housing is one of the important functions in 
successful cavy raising. If you are interested enough in 
cavies to pay from $3.00 to $10.00 a pair for them, you 
certainly would want to put them in the kind of a hutch 
where they will feel comfortable and thrive best. The 
hutches recommended in the following chapter are not 
only by far the best, but also inexpensive, if built in accord- 
ance with directions given. 

On a visit to a large number of cavy breeders and 
fanciers, it was found that cavies are housed in a hundred 
different ways. One breeder perhaps uses a soap box, 
while another seems to properly care for his in a dog hut 
or small chicken coup. At any rate it is safe to say that if 
the cavy is properly fed and looked after it is content 
with almost any kind of a home. While there may be a 
thousand different ways of housing cavies, the question 
is, which is the best, most sanitary and most appropriate 
as well as most inexpensive method of housing cavies? 
This is the question we wish to discuss as thoroughly 
and intelligently as possible. 

While it may seem a whole lot easier to take care of 
a large number of cavies all in one group, at the same 
time it is not always advisable to keep a large number of 
them together in one hutch or pen. It is under no cir- 
cumstances advisable to put more than six or eight sows 
at the most together with one boar in one hutch. Neither 
should there be at any time more than one boar in a 
hutch with sows, since two boars if kept together in one 
hutch will fight and sometimes kill each other, besides 
annoying the sows, who are with them in the same pen. 

When four sows and a boar are kept together, the 
sows should be separated and put into hutches by them- 
selves as soon as they are in profit. If this is done the 
young litter usually arrives in much better condition and 
are better developed, besides when the sow with her young 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

is in a hutch by herself, she usually takes better care of 
them, and the clanger of other sows trampling all over 
the young ones is avoided. 

Some large breeders keep their sows in a hutch by 
themselves all the time, and after the young ones have 
been weaned, a boar is put in her hutch and again removed 
after about 10 days. This system is not quite satisfac- 
tory, because it requires more room, and more boars, 
whereas if four or five are kept in one pen it offers them 
more room in which to run around and also saves space 
for the owner. After the young have been weaned the 
sow can be put back in the hutch with the boar until 
she is again in profit. By separating the sows about three 
weeks before they mature, the danger of premature 
birth is almost entirely avoided, and the result is a higher 
grade of young stock. 

The hutches should be cleaned at least once a week, or 
twice a week if possible. After they have been thoroughly 
cleaned, they should be properly disinfected, with some 
reliable disinfectant. This not only prevents disease, 
but also keeps out lice, etc., and the result will be healthy 
cavies. No high grade caviary even thinks of putting 
their cavies back into the hutch after it has been cleaned 
without thoroughly disinfecting it. The kind of disin- 
fectants to use are those which have an agreeable odor 
and create a pleasant healthful atmosphere. 

After the hutch has been thoroughly cleaned and dis- 
infected, bran should be put on the floor of the hutch. 
This makes the floor nice and dry, and the cavies like to 
eat it as well. Some breeders use sawdust to put on the 
floor, but experience teaches us that the cavies will eat 
this sawdust, and as a result it will throw them out of 
condition, whereas bran is good food for them, and in- 
cidentally serves a double purpose. 



HUTCHES AND HOW TO BUILD THEM 

While many different kinds of hutches will do for 
housing the cavy, we will describe only these hutches in 
this chapter which are most suitable and can be easily 
put up by any person without having the skill of an ex- 
perienced carpenter. The hutches described in this article 
are not very expensive and are recommended by high 
class breeders of cavies throughout the country, and if 
at all possible any one of the hutches outlined in this 
chapter should be used in preference to dilapidated boxes, 
etc. If a person expects to make cavies his hobby, he will 
soon realize that better results are obtained by using the 
hutches recommended in this chapter. 

The following are the hutches which we will fully 
describe and the prices of lumber may vary somewhat 
according to the section of the country where it is pur- 
chased. The prices quoted on lumber in this chapter, are 
those receiveci by lumber dealers in Chicago. 

Government Hutch Sectional Hutch 

Utility Hutch Breeding Hutch 

Two Story Hutch Compartm.ent Hutch 

The Sliding Drawer Hutch 

THE GOVERNMENT HUTCH 

This is the hutch used by the United States Govern- 
ment for housing cavies, and is also endorsed by many 
breeders all over the country. This hutch will accommo- 
date about four sows and one boar and also their young 
until they have been weaned, but as stated in a previous 
chapter, sows should be put in a separate hutch at least 
several weeks before they mature, if the best results are 
desired. The following material is necessary for the 
Government Hutch. 

4 Pieces of I'W, 14 feet long $1 .00 

1 Piece of l"x4", 14 feet long 18 

Wire nails, hinges and door button.. . .25 

Total Cost $1.43 

23 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

If new lumber can not be had, box boards or any other 
wood of the proper length may be used, if this is done 
the only expense then would be the hinges and wire. 
Almost any kind of wire can be used, just so that it is 
close enough to prevent the young ones from running 
through it. However, mosquito netting and rabbit wire 




Government Hutch 
18 inches high, 3 K feet deep, 20 inches wide 



are most suitable. If cavies are kept in the basement it 
is advisable to use mosquito screening for the reason that 
it will prevent the hay and dirt to come through the wire 
and fall on the floor. By using this screening, floors can 
be kept very clean indeed. If used outside, this screening 
also has its advantages in that it protects the cavies from 
the wind to a certain extent, because the fine netting will 
break the wind considerably, as well as keep out mice 




Rear view of Government Hutch, showing the plan of ventilation 

U 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

and insects. Now I presume the reader will ask, Doesn't 
this fine, close screening make the cavies in the hutch 
invisible? No, it does not. They can be seen just as well 
through this screening as through rabbit wire. Further- 
more when you show your stock to visitors, you are 
naturally going to open the doors anyway, in order for 




Group of Government Hutches stacked on top of each other 

them to obtain a good view. Screening is also used in the 
back of this hutch for ventilation purposes. The great 
disadvantage in this hutch, is the cleaning part of it. 
Owing to its depth, it makes it rather hard and unpleasant 
to clean. 

UTILITY HUTCH 
This hutch is not very generally used owing to its 
inconveniences, but it makes a splendid hutch in emergen- 




Utility Hutch 
25 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

cies when a hutch is wanted quick. This hutch is made out 
of boxes entirely and is very simple to make. The only 
work required in making this hutch is to nail a piece of 
wire in front of the opening of the box and take off a 
piece of board from the top of the box, which will serve 
as the opening of the hutch. Any kind of a box obtainable 
will answer the purpose for this hutch. 

TWO STORY HUTCH 

The two story hutch is very attractive and can be 
easily made out of large boxes. The only work necessary 
in the building of this hutch, is to lay a floor in the center 
of a big box, then put a door on the right end of the 
hutch, which will open both the upper and the lower story 
with one operation. These hutches can be made in differ- 




Attractive two story hutch. Size of each floor measures 12 inches High, 20 
inches Deep, 3t> inches Wide 



ent sizes, just according to the kind of boxes obtainable, 
and about the only expense in connection with the build- 
ing of this hutch is a pair of hinges and some wire, which 
will not amount to very much. The hutch shown above 
is large enough to accommodate three sows and onej^boar 
on each floor. 

26 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

SECTIONAL HUTCHES 
The sectional hutches are similar to the compartment 
hutch and the breeding hutch, the only difference being 
that the sectional hutch is made out of uniform boxes, 
while the compartment hutch and the breeding hutch are 
made out of dressed and matched lumber. These sectional 
hutches are very desirable where the breeder expects to 
move them back and forth everv now and then. These 




5 Sectional Hutches laid on top of each other. Inside measurements of each 
section is as follows: 32 inches Wide, 12 inches High, 18 inches Deep 




4 Sectional Hutches made into a unique 4 Story Hutch 
27 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

hutches can be put one on top of the other and will not 
occupy any more room than the hutches made out of 
selected lumber. 

The sectional hutches are used mostly by those breeders 
who are able to buy boxes of uniform size. When uniform 
boxes about the size shown in the above illustration can 
be procured, then the cost of the hutch will be only the 
nails and the wire. The hutch should have a partition in 
the center if used for brood sows, or boars, but if it is 
desired to use this for a breeding pen it should have no 
partition, and then it will accommodate about three sows 
and one boar. 

These hutches should never be permitted to rest on 
the floor, but should always be at least six inches from 
the floor or ground, so that rats and mice can not house 
underneath them. 




Sectional Hutch made out of Boxes, showing one "Solid" Door and one 
"Wire" Door 

THE BREEDING HUTCH 
This hutch is without any question of doubt the most 
satisfactory cavy hutch in the world. There is no other 
method of mating and breeding cavies more satisfactory 
than the breeding hutch. Each section is large enough to 
accommodate about four or five sows and one boar. 
The height of this hutch is exactly six feet and the width 
is exactly three feet, and will fit in almost any basement. 

28 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 




HrccdinR 1 lurch 
Lach section measures 3U inches Deep, 3b inches Wide and 12 inches High 

The depth of this hutch is 30 inches. Each story is large 
and roomy and affords ample room for exercise. The 
following lumber is necessary for this hutch: 

1 1 pieces of 1 x6" dressed and matched white pine 
12 feet long $2.64 

4 pieces of 1x1" dressed for cleats and making the 
door 16 

6 feet of wire 30 inches wide for the doors 1 . 20 

Nails, hinges and door buttons .25 

Total Cost $4.25 

(Lumber for back not included). 

29 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

This hutch is not very expensive, and for the little 
that it does cost, it is well worth the time and money to 
use this hutch. The lumber for the back of this hutch 
is not included, because almost any kind of box boards 
of the proper length will do. 

The first procedure in building the breeding hutch is 
to cut five pieces of the 1x6" into six foot lengths for the 
sides. Then nail on your cleats to hold the floor. After 
this has been done put on your top and also the bottom 
floor so as to hold it together, then proceed to lay the other 
four floors, and put on your back. The back should be 
put on very carefully, as that and the top of the hutch are 
the only thing that keep the hutch in balance. The floors 
not being stationary, help but little in keeping the hutch 
together, therefore if possible strong boards should be 
used for the back. 

Each floor can be taken out when desired, and this 
makes it especially convenient and sanitary. These 
hutches can be cleaned in a few minutes, as each floor 
can be pulled out and put back in a few seconds. There 
should be a few braces underneath each floor to hold the 
entire floor together, so that each floor can be taken out 
completely instead of one piece at a time. 

A piece of board measuring about four inches high 
should be placed in front of each floor (as shown in the 
illustration) in order to prevent them fron falling out, as 
well as to prevent the dirt from falling out. Of course 
these should not be nailed in, but merely laid in back of 
small cleats so they can be taken out in a second. 

When four sows and a boar are kept in this hutch, the 
sows should be transferred to the compartment or ma- 
ternity hutch as soon as they show signs of being in profit, 
and some other sow can be put in there to take her place. 

COMPARTMENT HUTCH 

The 10 compartment hutch is indeed one of the most 

practical hutches in use today. It is a rather new hutch 

and is fast winning popularity among high class breeders 

as being one of the most satisfactory hutches. This 

30 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

hutch not only serves as a maternity hutch, but is also 
a good hutch for keeping the boars. This hutch takes up 
very little room and accommodates 10 sows, one in each 
compartment. The height of this hutch is six feet and the 
width is three feet. Each section measuring about 21 
inches deep, 12 inches high and 18 inches wide. The 
following lumber is required for this hutch: 

14 pieces of 1x6" dressed and matched white pine 12 feet long. .$3.38 
2 pieces of 1x2" dressed and matched white pine 12 feet long. . .16 
4 pieces of 1x1" dressed, for cleats and making the doors, 12 

feet long 15 

6 feet wire 30" wide for the doors 1 .20 

Nails, hinges and door buttons 25 

Total cost $5.15 

(The above lumber includes the back and partitions.) 

Of course box boards can be used for the back, if 
they are obtainable. They need not be new, just so they 
are fairly even and smooth. If box boards are used for the 
back it will require several pieces less of the 1x6" lumber. 

The first thing to do in building this hutch is to cut 
eight pieces of the 1x6" into exactly six foot lengths. Four 
of these will be used for the two sides of the hutch, four 
on each side. These should be carefully put together and 
cut in even lengths. Now take a piece of 1x1" Lumber 
and cut it into 21" lengths. Ten of these are needed 
for cleats on which to lay the floor. These cleats should 
be nailed five on each of the sides, which are six feet in 
length. Nail these on the sides starting 12 inches from the 
top, nailing the other four cleats 1 2 inches below the first 
cleat, but care must be taken to get them all uniform. 
After these ten cleats have been nailed on the sides, the 
floor can be laid. 

The lumber for the floor should be cut in 34>^" 
lengths, four of these are necessary for each floor, making 
a total of 20 pieces of 1x6" 34>^" long. After the floor 
has been laid, the partitions should be put in. The next 
step is to nail on the back, and old lumber or box boards 
can be used for that, as it will not show up anyway. Now 
the hutch is complete with the exception of the Front. 
Nail a piece of 1x2" in the center from top to bottom; 
directly in front of the partitions, and this piece is used 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

for the door buttons or lock. Then nail a piece of 1x2" on 
each side, in front of the hutch; this is for the hinges. 
Now nail a piece of 1x2" across the top of the hutch to 
give it a finished appearance. A piece of board about 




Compartment Hutch 
Each compartment measures about 21 in. Deep, 12 in. High and 18 in. 



Wide 



four inches high should be placed on the inside front of 
each compartment to prevent the young ones from falling 
out, as well as prevent the dirt from falling to the floor. 
It may seem a little difficult at first to make the doors, 



32 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

but once this has been done, it will seem comparatively 
easy the second time they are made. It is advisable to 
paint the hutches, but this is not absolutely necessary. 
The bottom floor of this hutch must be at least four inches 
from the floor in order to prevent rats from housing under- 
neath as well as to keep it clean and sanitary underneath 
the hutch. 

As soon as sows are heavy with young they should be 
transferred from the Breeding Hutch to the Compart- 
ment Hutch, and not disturbed until they have had young. 
When sows are by themselves in these compartment 
hutches, there is little danger of them being hurt or 
injured, and premature birth as well as miscarriage, etc., 
are almost entirely avoided. The sow should be left in 
this hutch four weeks after giving birth. When the 
youngsters are three weeks old they should be separated 
from their mother and put in a hutch with other young 
stock about the same age. Of course the young sows 
and boars must be kept separate, for they will breed at 
an early age, and this is not desirable. After the young- 
sters have been taken away from the mother, leave the 
mother in the hutch by herself for one more week, giving 
her an opportunity to fully recuperate. Then she can 
again be placed in the breeding hutch. This plan you will 
find works out very satisfactorily, and good results can 
be looked forward to. 

THE SLIDING DRAWER HUTCH 

The sliding drawer hutch is absolutely the latest and 
most "Up-to-t he-Minute" cavy hutch in existence. Its 
use is devoted primarily to young stock, between the 
time they have been weaned and before they are old 
enough for breeding. This hutch as you will note is com- 
pletely fitted out in every detail, and nothing has been 
left undone to make this the most elaborate hutch of its 
kind. Each drawer slides out easily, and the front of 
each drawer is covered with mosquito screening, to prevent 
the youngsters from falling out. Owing to the fact that 
young stock seems to take great pleasure in rolling out of 
the hutches, and because so many breeders have com- 

33 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

plained of losing young stock for this very reason, it 
was finally decided to try out the new Sliding Drawer 
Hutch, and it works out very satisfactorily. The screen- 
ing in front of each drawer affords plenty of light and 
ventilation, and there is no danger of them falling out. 
It is built on practically the same basis as the breeding 
hutch, only each floor comes in the shape of a drawer as 
shown in the illustration. Each drawer will accommodate 
from eight to ten youngsters, according to their age and 
size, however, care must be taken not to crowd them, 
and ventilation holes should be put in the back. This of 






Sliding Drawer Hutch 



course should apply to all hutches, as no cavy or any other 
animal for that matter, can live and enjoy health without 
sufficient air, and ventilation. 



34 



HOW TO KEEP RECORD OF YOUR STOCK 

In order to be as successful as you would like to be, 
it is absolutely necessary that you keep a complete and 
accurate record of every cavy you own, unless this is 
done you are not very apt to be as successful as you ought 
to be. 

When buying cavies it is really important that you 
purchase them from a breeder who can furnish you with 
complete information regarding their past, such as age, 
number of times they have produced young, etc. When 
you have this information along with the stock you buy 
it will be an easy matter to continue keeping record of 
them. If your system of keeping complete records will 
benefit you in no other way, it at least benefits you in the 
way of getting better prices for your stock when selling 
it for breeding purposes, as well as to satisfy your own 
wishes in knowing the exact status of your stock at all 
times. 

The best method of keeping records of cavies is to 
number each sow. Start with No. 1, number the next 
sow No. 2, etc., as many as you may have. The boars 
should be identified by letters, such as A, B, C, D, E, 
F, G, etc., as many as you may have. If you should 
have more than 26 boars then start over with the letters 
using Al, Bl, etc. Should you have more than 52 boars 
then start over with your letter a third time using A2, 
B2, etc. 

The best book to use in connection with keeping records 
of your stock, expenses, sales, etc., is a little leather loose 
leaf ledger which will fit in an outside coat pocket. This 
is convenient to carry around and answers the purpose 
very nicely, although if the price of such a book which is 
about $ 1 .50 is too much for the beginner almost any other 
memorandum book will do. 

To start with use one sheet in your ledger or memoran- 
dum book for each sow or boar. Never put the records 
of two sows on one sheet. At the top of each sheet you 

35 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

should put down what color and variety that particular 
pig is, and his or her number should be put in the upper 
right hand corner. Then give a complete description of 
the boar or sow as is shown in illustration No. 1 below. 

ENGLISH RED SOW No. 1 

"Queen Anne" 

Pure red all over and very pretty. Won first prize at the 
following exhibitions: Chicago, 1914, St. Louis, 1915 and New York. 
1916. Purchased May 3, 1916, from J. K. Miller, New York. 
"AJYZ." Born June, 1913. 

Illustration No. 1. 

ENGLISH RED SOW No. 1 

Boar Served Birth Young Weaned Condition 

DC R S 

A 6/15 8/25 1-3' 1-2' Good 

One young sow died from falling out of Hutch. 
Illustration No. 2. 

On one side of the page you will give a complete 
description of the boar or sow as the case may be. Then 
on the other side of that same sheet make your head- 
ings as is shown in above illustration No. 2. Under the 
first heading indicate to what particular Boar the Sow 
was mated. Under the second heading show the date 
when served. Under the third heading show when she 
gave birth to young. Under the next heading put down 
the number of Boars and Sows to which she gave birth. 
In this particular case \ou will note that she gave birth 
to one Boar and three Sows. Under the fifth heading you 
will show the number weaned; if this number does not 
correspond with that of the previous heading, you can tell 
at a glance that one or several of them have died. In 
illustration No. 2, you will note that one of them fell out 
of the Hutch and died. Under the last heading simply 
put down what their general condition is, whether good, 
fair or poor. When everything has been entered then 
put down some remarks and rule off for the next record, 
continuing of course on the same page. 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

The letters AJYZ under illustration No. 1 might be a 
puzzle to some readers, but it means nothing more or less 
than the price paid for that particular pig. In the case 
shown in this illustration as AJYZ means that the price 
paid for this red sow was $10.00. 

The best system of keeping confidential price list is 
to use the lettering system and this system works out as 
follows: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, stand for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 
6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. The last two letters of your price should 
be dead and merely put on for an ornament so as to make 
it more difficult for strangers to determine and recognize 
>our prices. Thus >ou will see that in illustration No. 1 
AJYZ stands for $10.00 and the other two letters are dead. 
If for instance the price paid were $ 1 .25 it should be shown 
as follows: ABELY. or if $2.95 were paid it would be 
shown as follows: BIEXY. It is necessary of course 
that the letters corresponding with the figures are memor- 
ized so that the prices can be read without trouble. This 
however is not the only good system, but many others 
can be arranged and worked out to suit the individual 
needs. If there is on your records any such stock that has 
been shown at exhibitions, it is important that their 
winnings are very carefully entered on your records. 
This is the reason why so many breeders are able to ob- 
tain such high prices for their stock, simply because they 
can tell their prospect right off hand, where, when, and 
how many times that particular cavy won. 

A cavy marker has recently been invented by Mr. 
Chas. Gibson, of Detroit, Mich., who is recognized as 
one of the most enthusiastic breeders and fanciers of pet 
stock. With this useful little marker the cavies can be 
numbered properly inside of their ears, without scratching 
or marring the cavies ear, and this will aid materially in 
keeping accurate record of the stock. 



WHAT CAVIES EAT AND WHAT THEY 
SHOULD EAT 

The cavy like the rabbit is a great vegetarian; without 
plenty of green foods the cavy cannot live. Cavies, 
however, will eat almost any kind of vegetables that you 
may give them, and especially since they eat nearly 
everything you place before them, care should be exer- 
cised in giving them only the kind of food on which they 
will thrive best. 

Some breeders and fanciers feed their stock almost 
anything they may have within easy reach, whether it is 
beets or potatoes ; however, their stock looks accordingly 
and they sometimes wonder why every now and then 
they lose one of their fine cavies. It is just as easy and 
cheap to feed your cavies with the food they like best, 
and the food which actually serves best for their health 
and general condition, as it is to feed them on all kinds 
of thrash which is not very suitable to the cavy, and be- 
sides which tends to get them out of shape and condition. 
We therefore expect the breeder if he is looking for the 
best results from his cavies to follow the directions which 
are here given, and to feed them only on a selected line 
of food which we recommend in this chapter. The follow- 
ing is a list of foods which may be fed to cavies with good 
results. 



GREEN FOODS 


DRY FOODS 


Alfalfa, (green) 


Alfalfa, 


Clover, (green) 


Clover 


Lettuce 


Timothy Hay 


Dandelion 


Oats 


Carrots 


Corn 


Cabbage 


Bran 


Celery Tops, 


Dry Bread 


Lawn Clippings 


Corn leaves. 


Corn, (green in stalk) 




Red Beet 




Spinach 




Apples 




Cauliflower 





38 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

The foregoing is a carefully selected line of food on 
which they thrive best. During the Summer months when 
the lawn clippings are plentiful, this makes a splendid food, 
but care and good judgment should be exercised, so as 
not to overfeed them. When you give them the first 
lawn clippings in Spring, you should give them but very 
little of this green grass at the start and gradually give 
them a little more every day. This is true of any new 
kind of food which you may introduce to your stock. 
Any new food which you have never fed them should be 
given to them but very little at a time, until they get 
used to it, and in the mean time you are learning whether 
or not it is the food they like and whether it agrees with 
them. 

Green clover and alfalfa during the Summer months 
also makes splendid food for cavies. Lettuce is well liked 
by them and they do very well indeed on lettuce. The 
cabbage question however, has met with a lot of criticism 
and much has been discussed about this food. Many 
breeders of great renown say that cabbage is not a healthy 
food for cavies and that it is apt to make them sick; on 
the other hand we also have an equal number of famous 
breeders and fanciers who say that cabbage is a healthy 
food, and they feed it daily with great success and with- 
out loss of life or health. Therefore under the circum- 
stances the amateur breeder of cavies might do well to 
try cabbage on a few of his stock, and see what the results 
are; feed it in small quantity and see how they like it, then 
if you find it don't agree with your stock don't give them 
any more, but if they do like it, give it to them. Experi- 
menting, by the way is one of the interesting features in 
the cavy industry, to find out from time to time what 
they do like, as well as what actually is best for them. 

Carrots as we all know are one of the healthiest vege- 
tables for man or beast. Cavies should be fed with plenty 
of carrots daily, but it is absolutely necessary to refrain 
from giving them rotten or mouldy carrots or any other 
kind of food that is not clean and in its normal state, 
since this is one of the things that may kill your stock 
in a few hours; they must have clean food. 

39 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

When feeding carrots they should first be cut length- 
wise from one end to the other, then roll your carrot half 
way over and cut it through lengthwise once more, so that 
you will have four triangular pieces, then you can cut 
these four triangular pieces into three or four smaller 
pieces. The reason for cutting a carrot up like this, is be- 
cause it offers your cavies the meat of the carrot and it is 
not necessary for them to eat away the dirty outside, and 
especially since a carrot is always more or less dirty it 
is best to feed them only the clean parts of the carrot, and 
this can be done most economically by cutting it up as 
outlined above, with practically no waste excepting the 
skin of the carrot. Carrots can be bought at extremely 
low prices thruout the year, and for this reason it should 
be the principal food. Carrots during the fall of 1916 sold 
at the Chicago Markets for as low as $6.00 per ton. Apples 
are also well liked by the cavy owing to their juiciness and 
good taste. However, you should feed only about one- 
fourth apples in proportion to the carrots you feed them. 
Celery tops, green corn in season, red beet, spinach, dande- 
lion and cauliflower should be fed in smaller quantities. 

Now let us say a few words about the dry foods. In- 
deed they are just as important as the green foods. The 
cavy especially during the winter months should always 
be supplied with abundance of good clean hay, timothy 
hay if possible, altho good alfalfa or clover will do as well. 
Oats if possible should be fed daily, since they like clean 
oats and it keeps them in condition. Corn should be fed 
daily in the winter time, especially if you keep your 
cavies outside, since this corn has the same effect on cavies 
as it does on chickens and that is, that it will keep them 
warm. Dry corn leaves may also be fed, and should be 
cut in small pieces. Bran is a good stimulater and builds 
body and bone. A good mixed food is three equal portions 
of bran, cracked corn and oats. This should be given 
them about twice a week if possible, although they can get 
along without it very nicely if corn and oats are fed 
daily. Cavies also will eat stale bread ; this is a desirable 
food when they have young, and the best way to feed it 
is to soak the stale bread in milk; this will aid the mother 
materially in properly nursing her young. On cold days 
the milk should be warmed up a little. 

40 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

A new food recently introduced is sprouted oats. 
Cavies do like this food, and it is good for them. Oat 
sprouters can be bought from $5.00 and up, but can be 
made by hand if a person has the time and material. This 
food is very inexpensive, and makes an ideal food in the 
winter time, when green foods are scarce. Mash and dry 
foods, such as oats, corn, etc., should be fed in "Ebco" 
Sanitary Stone Jars. 




It is only through careful feeding and breeding that 
such good specimens are obtained 



Water — We have gone very deeply into the matter of 
correct feeding, but how about the drinking end of it? 
Surely a cavy can not live without some kind of a liquid 
substance! This however, is an established fact. Cavies 
CAN live without water or drink of any kind. This has 
been very thoroughly proved, and we have convincing 
evidence that this is true. If a cavy is fed with plenty 
of green vegetables, there is no need of water whatever, 
and my experience in giving them water has not been so 
successful as refraining from giving them water. 

However, if you feed them mostly on dry food it will 
become an absolute necessity to give them water, but as 
stated above, if they get plenty of vegetables, water is not 

41 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

necessary, furthermore why give them water when not 
necessary. It is no doubt needless lo say that the watering 
part of any living animal is the most undesirable part 
of the work in connection with them. You have undoubted- 
ly all had the experience more or less with chickens, 
pigeons or other pets, and you know that it is no joke 
to water stock in the winter time, when the fountain or 
other water jars aie all frozen over with ice and you have 
to go out with hot water to melt it and then wait until 
it has cooled; furthermore water always causes more or 
less dirty and unsanitary surroundings; it causes your 
hutch to be wet and damp, imperiling your stock with 
colds and other diseases. You can therefore readily 
see the many disadvantages you have by giving them 
water, which is absolutely unnecessary when they get 
some green vegetables. 

However, since a question of doubt arises in the minds 
of many readers and breeders about the water question, 
it is advisable to make this experiment yourself. If you 
are in doubt try it on two or three of your poorest ones for 
a few weeks and then compare them with the stock that 
gets the water. But it is safe to remember this and take 
it for granted, that when you feed plenty of green vege- 
tables they can get along nicely without water and you 
take no risk whatever. But if your food consists mostly 
of dry food (which it shouldn't) then it is absolutely 
necessary to give them water. You must bear in mind 
however, that you should not stop or start giving them 
water all of a sudden, this should be done gradually. 
A piece of rock salt should be kept in the hutch when you 
abide by the watering method. 

When should you feed your cavies? This is very im- 
portant to know. Cavies should be fed two times a day 
and not more than three times a day. It is of course 
all right to feed them three times a day if convenient, 
but many people are away at work during the day and 
are therefore only able to feed their stock before and after 
work, in other words morning and evening. 

If they are properly fed in the morning and in the 
evening, this indeed is sufficient and the results should 

42 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

be very satisfactory ; however, if at all possible the> should 
be fed with punctuality a certain hour in the morning as 
well as a certain hour at night. It is also well to remember 
that it is better to underfeed than to overfeed. You should 
never throw enough food before your cavies to last them 
all day or maybe two days. This is wrong. You should 
feed them just enough so they can eat it easily by the time 
you feed them again at night, and when you feed them 
they should be hungry. They should have an appetite 
when they are fed, and not a full stomach. People don't 
enjoy a meal with filled stomachs, the same is true of 
cavies; of course they should be given enough each time, 
so they will not in any way suffer from an empty stom- 
ach. A little careful attention to correct feeding will 
soon put you in a position to feed your stock correctly 
and intelligently. You should never feed your cavies in 
a dirty hutch. Cavies like any other animals do not 
enjoy their meal in a filthy hutch. The hutches should 
be cleaned at least once a week. After your hutch has 
been cleaned, throw a handful of bran on the floor of 
your hutch, since this absorbs the moisture and makes 
your hutch dry and clean, and also much easier to clean 
the next time. Some breeders throw sawdust on the 
floor of the hutch after it has been cleaned. This is 
quite wrong, because a cavy will eat this sawdust and 
the result will be that in a short time your cavies will 
be all out of condition, whereas bran is almost just as 
cheap, serves the purpose just as well, and will do them 
good if they eat it. It may also be well to remember 
that a clean hutch is a preventive for diseases, and at 
the same time a pleasure for the cavy to live in. 



43 



CORRECT BREEDING METHODS 

Correct breeding is one of the most important func- 
tions in raising cavies. Many breeders could be twice 
as successful with their cavies, if they employed a little 
more system, and made a thorough study of the breeding 
question. Laboratories demand only such stock that is 
in perfect health, and it is only possible to obtain such 
stock through careful breeding. It is well worth the while 
to study carefully the many important details pertaining 
to this branch of the cavy industry . Those breeders who 
receive such high prices for their stock, are usually the 
ones that carefully' breed their stock, and aim for size, 
shape, and color, rather than for quantity. In this 
chapter the details of correct breeding are very thor- 
oughly explained. 

To begin with, sows should never be put with a boar 
and bred before they are at least four months old. Many 
breeders do not breed their young sows until they are 
five months old, while more of the fancy breeders do not 
breed their young sows until they are at least six months 
old, because much better results are obtained in the way 
of size and shape. Neither is it advisable to use a boar 
under five months old. By waiting till young stock gets 
to be about six months old, they usually develop better 
and their size and shape is much better than if would be 
if they were allowed to breed at an early age. While it 
is true that young sows will breed at the age of six weeks, 
it certainly is not advisable, if you are breeding for size 
shape and color. When sows are bred under five months 
of age it will stop their growth and large healthy young- 
sters can not be expected. Sows will produce from three 
to five litters a year, each litter varying from two to 
six, although three is a good average. About twehe pigs 
can be expected from a sow during a year, and she is good 
for at least six years of breeding, although cavies have been 
known to live as long as ten years or more. Exhibition 
stock should not be bred more than about twice a year, 
in order to retain their good shape. 

The period of gestation is from 65 to 70 days and 
when the young are born they are fully developed with 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

their eyes open, and a few hours after they are born they 
run around in the hutch and can be seen eating food be- 
fore they are 12 hours old. No other animal is known to 
be as prolific as the cavy right from the start. The young- 
sters should not be weaned before they are at least three 
weeks old. Some breeders wean their youngsters before 
they are three weeks old, but the results are not very 
satisfactory and a very thorough investigation, as well as 
experience has proven that it is not advisable to wean 
them before three weeks old ; it is preferable to wean them 
when 25 days old. After the young ones have been weaned, 
they can be put in the sliding drawer hutch explained 
under the heading of "Hutches and How to Build Them," 
or any other pen will do for them, but care must be 
taken to separate the boars from the sows, since they 
will breed at a very early age, if permitted to run together. 
After the mother has had one week's rest she can again 
be put in the breeding pen with the boar. Breeding at 
this rate you will see enables a sow to produce four litters 
a year. If the young are dead when born, or die shortly 
after they are born, do not immediately put the sow 
back in the breeding pen, but give her a thirty days 
rest which will give her an opportunity to recuperate 
and regain her strength. After she has been in the 
breeding pen for about thirty days, or as soon as she 
becomes heavy with young, she should again be sep- 
arated and placed in a hutch by herself. This method 
should be followed throughout, if good results are expected ; 
furthermore this method of breeding has been proven 
by experience to be the best. After your young stock 
reaches the age of five or six months they should be put 
in the breeding pen. Young boars should not be put in 
the breeding pen until they are six months old, and should 
not be permitted to be with more than three sows at a 
time until they are 10 months old, at which time they 
are old enough to be placed with from six to ten breeding 
sows. By waiting until the boars are six months old, 
much better results are obtained in the way of size and 
shape, which are very important. 

Boars should' not be permitted to be in the same hutch 
with sows having young. Some breeders have stated that 

45 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

if the boar is kept in with the sow having young, he will 
help dry the young, but from experience we find that 
he will rather help die the young ones than to help dry 
them, aside from this he will also bother the mother 
which will give her a tendency to neglect her young ones. 
On the other hand if the sow is kept in a hutch by herself 
she can take better care of her young, as well as regain 
her own strength. Neither should two sows with young 
be kept together, since they are apt to fight and thus 
either neglect or kill their young. 




Cavies 4 weeks old. 



BREEDING FOR SIZE, SHAPE AND COLOR 

Breeding for size is indeed quite important, and about 
the only way to accomplish this is to prevent young stock 
from being bred before six months old. By doing this 
you give them every chance to fully develop, and this 
means size. Small boars should never be used, but use 
as large boars as possible of course consistent with shape 
and color. Breeding for shape is not so very important 
if cavies are reared for commercial purposes, but if they 
are being raised for fancy and exhibition purposes, then 
it is very important that every care possible is taken to 
breed stock with proper "shape." At exhibitions, shape 
is considered one of the most important points towards 
winning. The important features for shape are their 
ears which should be drooping, but neither hanging down 
not standing upright. Their, eyes should be very promi- 

46 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

nent, one matching the other for color, they should not 
be small by any means. Their nose should be blunt and 
not have a ratty appearance. It is not advisable to breed 
or sell any stock with ratty appearance for breeding pur- 
poses, since it is the aim of all cavy breeders to get away 
from the shape of the rat as much as possible. Their 
shoulders should stand up very prominently and should be 
a trifle higher than their hind quarters. While it seems 
quite impossible to breed cavies according to the shape 
outlined, we should at least try our best to produce cavies 




Isn't this interesting? 

of Standard shape. The color of cavies is just as important 
as their size and shape, and for exhibition purposes it is 
even more so important. Solid color cavies must be of 
one even color thruout, without any odd color hair of 
any kind. Sometimes a perfect sow in shape and size 
has a few off color spots; such a pig would be disqualified 
at the shows, but for breeding purposes she would be 
good, since the few off color spots can be bred out in a 
short time, if such a pig is bred to a good solid colored boar 
every time, it won't be long before all her young are 
also perfect solid colors. Pure white cavies are rather 
hard to obtain, since rhost white cavies have dark feet 
dark ears, or a dark smut on their nose, if this is the case 
with the sows, be sure to breed them to a perfect pure 
white boar. By doing this the dark spots can in 
time be bred out of the sows. White sows should 

47 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

have pink eyes matching each other. The cream color 
cavies were obtained through a mixture of red and white, 
being bred back and forth until the desired cream color 
was obtained. Occasionally their color runs very light, 
if so, they should be bred to a light red boar, and if they 
get too dark they should be bred to a good white boar. 
Black cavies if never bred to anything but black boars 
all the time will finally run into a chocolate color, but to 
retain a good black a little mixture of dark red should 
be used occasionally. Black sows with a little red, bred 
to good black boars usually bring the desired black color. 
The Blue and Chocolate varieties have not quite reached 
the point of perfection, but much experimenting is being 
done to bring these two colors up to a higher standard 
of perfection. The brindles are obtained through acombina- 
tion of red and black. The tortoise variety consists 
of black and red patches which should be evenly dis- 
tributed, and are usually best obtained by breeding the 
blacks with the reds, of course care should be taken to 
avoid the color of running together in brindle form; they 
should come in clear and distinct patches of red and 
black. 

The tortoise and white should come in equal clear 
and distinct patches of red, black and white. They are 
very pretty but the right markings of course are rather 
hard to obtain, but by a little study and experience good 
markings can be had without much trouble. To get 
perfect markings of tortoise and white cavies is sometimes 
a mystery, because occasionally you will find a poorly 
marked sow throw a prize winning youngster, but by 
using as near perfect as possible breeding stock, good 
results are usually obtained. 

The Himalayans are very pretty and are not so very 
difficult to raise. With a first class Himalayan boar good 
youngsters can be obtained in a short while by breeding 
him to a white sow, of course the sow if possible ought to 
have at least dark ears or dark feet or a black smut on 
her nose. While the Himalayan is rather a new variety 
in cavies, it is coming to the front fast and receiving 
many comments. The Dutch marked cavy is indeed one 
of the hardest varieties to obtain, and it seems almost 

48 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

impossible to breed this variety to perfection. It is very 
difficult to obtain the accurate markings required for 
this variety, because the color never breaks off distinctly 
where it should, and one color runs into another. With 
a few more years of careful breeding however, the dutch 
marked cavy may be brought a little closer to the standard 
of perfection. The Agoutis are very scarce and come in 
the silver and golden grey. The silver grey should be of 
a light grey, the color of wild rabbits, and their bell>-coat 
should be of a rich silver color. The golden grey should 
be of a dark grey, the color of squirrels, with a golden 
(deep red) belly-coat. 

The Peruvians are not so very difficult to raise and 
are ver^/ pretty owing to the silkiness of their hair, which 
should be as long as possible. When Peruvians are put 
in the breeding pen, their hair should be clipped. Peru- 
\ ians should always be kept in clean hutches with sanitary 
surroundings on account of their delicate coat. When 
intending to exhibit Peruvians, they should be placed in 
a hutch by themselves at least 6 weeks before exhibiting 
them; for if they are left together they will nibble around 
on each others coat, thus rendering them Uxifit for first- 
class exhibition. Their hair should also be combed daily 
several weeks before sending them off to the show. 

The Abyssinians are raised practically the same way 
as the smooth haired cavies. Their coat needs less atten- 
tion, but care should be taken in breeding to always 
select a boar with as many rosettes as possible, because 
the more rosettes the better and more valuable the 
Abyssinian. 



49 



LINE-BREEDING CROSS-BREEDING AND 
IN-BREEDING. 

LINE-BREEDING 

Line-breeding is the only method by which a strain 
can be established. Nearly all large and reliable 
breeders practice line-breeding and have their own strain. 
The majority of cavy breeders however, do not employ 
line-breeding to any great extent, because it requires 
an unlimited amount of patience, time and very careful 
matings. Another reason why little line-breeding is done 
among the cavy breeders, is because the majority of them 
do not have a clear understanding of the subject. 

Our idea in line-breeding is to establish a strain of 
cavies of some particular breed, that possess size, color 
and shape. For instance if we want to establish a strain 
of blacks, that will eventually throw blacks, and nothing 
but black, the only way to obtain such a strain would 
be through line-breeding. Our object in line-breeding is to 
produce such a strain, that when it has been established 
the breeder can depend upon his stock, and knows just 
what it will produce, with but very few culls. When 
starting to line-breed cavies, every care must be taken 
to start with a pair of cavies as near perfect as possible 
and not in any way related, neither should they be more 
than one year of age, and the sow should be about two 
months younger than the boar. 

The Breeding Chart on the following page will help 
the reader to understand this subject more easily and to 
practice it more intelligently. 

Having selected our boar and sow from whom we 
expect to establish a strain which will resemble them, 
or from whom we may even expect an improvement, 
we will mate them as shown in the illustration. Sow No. 1 
mated with boar No. 2 will produce Group No. 3, which 
contains half the blood of the original boar and sow. 

Now mate the best sow from Group No. 3 back to the 
original boar and this will produce Group No. 5, which 
represents three-fourths the blood of the original boar 
and one-fourth the blood of the original sow. 

50 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

Mate the best boar from Group No. 3 to the oi iginal 
sow and that will produce Group No. 4 which contains 
three-fourths the blood of the original sow and one- 
fourth the blood of the original boar. 

Mate the sows from Group No. 4 together with the 
boars from Group No. 5, or vice versa, and you will 
have Group No. 7, which represents exactly half the 
blood of the original pair. Now we have gotten one step 
further towards producing a new line of blood. 




« * T ^ 

Chart for Line Breeding Cavies 

Now mate the sow from Group No. 5 back to original 
boar No. 2 and produce Group No. 8 which is seven - 
eighths the blood of the original boar No. 2. A boar from 
Group No. 4 mated back to the original sow No. 1 pro- 
duces group No. 6, that is seven-eighths the blood of the 
original sow, and one-eighth the blood of the original boar. 

How select the best boar from Group No. 8 and the 
sows from Group No. 6 and produce Group No. 1 1 , which 

51 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

contains one-half the blood of each of the original pair. 
This is the third step and the seventh mating in securing 
complete breeding of a new strain. 

We now come to a point where we wish to establish a 
boar line whose blood is virtually the same as that of the 
original sow. To accomplish this select a boar from 
Group No. 6 and mate him to the sow of Group No. 4 and 
produce Group No. 9, which is thirteen-sixteenths the 
blood of the original sow No. 1 and three-sixteenths the 
blood of the original boar. 

Again select a boar from Group No. 9 and a sow from 
Group No. 1 1, which will produce Group No. 14, which is 
twenty-one thirty-seconds the blood of the original sow. 

Now mate a boar from Group No. 13, which is thirteen- 
sixteenths the blood of the original boar No. 2, to the sows 
of Group No. 10, which are five-sixteenths the blood of 
the original boar, and produce Group No. 17, which is 
nine-sixteenths the blood of the said boar, while in No. 16 
we have the new strain and in Group No. 18 the strain of 
our original boar. 

Remember that the dotted line represents the sow 
selection and the solid line the boar selection. 

Of course every care must be taken when line-breed- 
ing, and results must be watched very closely. While it 
is expected that in line-breeding "Like produces Like" 
this may not always be the case, and as soon as one is 
discovered that is not up to the standard, leave him out 
of the race at once, and continue with those that do come 
up to your expectations. In line-breeding a person always 
looks for improvement as he goes on, and in order to be 
successful with line-breeding, the stock must be watched 
very closely, and as soon as you discover any weakness in 
your strain, it is a sign that you are overdoing it, and then 
new blood must be introduced. 

Cross Breeding 

Nearly all breeders of cavies do cross breeding sooner 
or later, and it is only through cross breeding that all these 
different breeds and varieties which we now have were 

52 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

established. By cross breeding almost anything can be 
accomplished in the way of getting new varieties, dif- 
ferent shapes and colors. 

To clearly illustrate the subject of cross breeding, we 
will try to secure solid blacks from tortoise and whites, 
of which we have perhaps a dozen. Take the boar that 
has the most black and mate him to the sow that has the 
most black. In nine cases out of ten you will find that 
there is at least one young cavy in the litter that is 
mostly black. Then mate this blackest youngster when 
he gets six months old to another sow that has a large 
percentage of black. From the result of this mating you 
should obtain at least one solid black, and by continuing 
this method for a while, you will soon possess a lot of 
black stock. Of course you may have a little difficulty 
in obtaining the right shade of black, but eventually it 
will come. 

Cross Breeding is very interesting, and it always keeps 
the breeder guessing what the results of his matings are 
going to be, and when the desired results are obtained 
you can see the proud, but patient breeder, going around 
and telling his fellow fanciers about his accomplishment 

Inbreeding 

We hear so much about inbreeding. Nearly every 
breeder of cavies, whether he has had experience or not, 
seems to have the idea that inbreeding is the most harmful 
thing that can be done in a caviary. I agree that in- 
breeding if carried on to extremity will result in poor 
stock, lacking vigor and vitality. I wonder if some of the 
fanciers have ever stepped to realize that through inbreed- 
ing some of the best specimens have been produced. This 
is little surprising, as by careful inbreeding the desired 
results are much more easily obtained than by waiting 
for some good stock to come from ordinary matings. By 
inbreeding, good results can be obtained more quickly, 
of course every care and precaution must be taken not 
to overdo it, as this is only bound to result in the weak- 
ening of your strain. When stock has been inbred, 

53 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

results must be watched very closely, and if you notice 
any defects in the stock, stop it at once, and introduce 
new blood. It is not the writer's intention to encourage 
inbreeding, but there are times when circumstances 
demand it, and then it is necessary to watch results very 
closely, or disaster is apt to follow. 



54 



"DISEASES"— THEIR PREVENTION AND CURE 
By Dr. Matthies, M. M, D. 

While it probably would seem a little exaggerated to 
say that cavies hardly ever get sick, it is nevertheless a 
fact. Cavies when properly housed and fed are indeed not 
subject to very many diseases. 

The cause for their sickness may be a too sudden 
change of temperature or by keeping them in a damp 
basement. Sometimes when they appear to be out of 
condition, examine their teeth; sometimes you will find 
they have broken some of their teeth, which disables 
them to eat hard food. When there is something wrong 
with their teeth, the best and most advisable remedy is to 
feed them mash, consisting of bran, corn, oats, etc., as well 
as to give them carrots which are cut up in very tiny 
pieces, so there will be no need of exertion on the part of 
the sick cavy in taking on some nourishing food. When 
soft or fine cut food is fed them while they are getting new 
teeth, it will keep them in condition, and in nine cases 
out of ten you will save the life of your cavy. It might 
alwa^'S be well to remember that "An ounce of Prevention 
is worth a pound of Cure. " 

The minute you discover a sick cavy, separate it from 
the rest of your cavies, so as to prevent the others from 
getting sick. Cavies are occasionally afflicted with some of 
the following diseases : 

Diphtheria Indigestion 

Pneumonia Diarrhoea 

Colds Wounds 

Lice Eye Trouble 

Broken Teeth Premature Birth 

Diphtheria — When one of the cavies is afflicted with 
this disease the best thing to do is to kill it at once, and 
prevent this disease from spreading. It is easy to tell 
when they are afflicted with this disease, because you will 
notice little lumps around their throats. The minute this 

55 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

is discovered it is advisable to kill your sick cavy without 
delay. This disease can not be cured and it is only a 
waste of time to try remedying it. 

Pneumonia — This is another disease which can not 
be cured, and is usually caused by a draught or dampness. 
When a cavy becomes the victim of this disease, it usually 
dies within 10 hours. It is useless to try and cure this 
disease. 




This is a typical example of a sick Cavy and quick action is necessary 
to save him from passing away to the happy Hunting Grounds. 

Colds — Colds are usually caused by dampness, uneven 
temperature or draught, and usually develops into pneu- 
monia. Rather than to suggest a cure for this, it is more 
advisable to keep your cavy away from such places which 
may subject them to colds. 

Lice — Lice are occasionally found on cavies during 
the summer months. Lice ai e very annoying and should be 
disposed of as soon as possible. When you discover one 
with lice separate it at once from the rest of your stock. 
The best cure for lice is to rub and dust the affected parts 
with Insect Powder which can be purchased from any 
druggist. 

Broken Teeth — This is not a disease, but a sure 
cause of sickness. Broken teeth are very undesirable and 
they ai e usually broke while gnawing on wood or fighting 

56 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

with the other cavies, or by accidentally bumping into 
something. If you discover any of your stock having 
broken teeth, separate them at once from the other cavies 
and feed soft food for a while, and in a short time their 
teeth will have grown again. 

Indigestion — This is a disease usually caused by lack 
of exercise, light or ventilation. A treatment of castor 
oil is a good remedy. 

Diarrhoea — This is the most common of all diseases 
with cavies, and is nearly always the result of careless 
feeding. This disease is usually caused by giving them 
too much green food and not enough dry foods, such as 
hay, oats and corn. Under no circumstances should cavies 
be permitted to feed exclusively on green foods or on dry 
foods. They must have both, if you expect them to do 
well. If your cavies are fed on unclean foods, this disease 
may also be the result. The best remedy for this disease 
is a teaspoon full of castor oil for grown ones, and in 
smaller portions to the younger ones. A medicine dropper 
should be used if possible. 

Wounds — It is very seldom that you find a wounded 
cavy. It is usually the result of fighting between boars, 
or sows who are in profit. The best way of treating wounds 
is to cut away the hair from the wound, cleanse with lake 
warm water and apply vaseline or zinc ointment. 

Eye Trouble — This is usually caused by cold, and 
can be quickly relieved by bathing their eyes with boracic 
acid, diluted in luke warm water. 

Premature Birth — ^This sometimes happens when a 
sow in profit is terribly frightened, hurt by a fall, or other- 
wise injured. To be safe and avoid premature birth, care 
should be taken not to handle and disturb the sows 
while in profit. 

Sometimes sows will die shortly after giving birth. 
This is due usually either to peritonitis, (inflammation in 
the abdomen) or to pneumonia. If the young are large 
in proportion to the mother, or numerous, they may press 
the bowel, causing gangrene and sloughing of the squeezed 

57 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

portion, followed by peritonitis and death. A cavy with 
peritonitis will not move if she can possibly help it and 
usually the abdomen is distended with gas. Peritonitis 
may also be caused by infection of the birth canal from 
slight tears, etc. Pneumonia shows its presence by the 
extremely difficult breathing and is usually acquired after 
giving birth, because the cavy is then tired out, and the 
body resistance is low. If a cavy has either peritonitis or 
pneumonia, she should be chloroformed at once, the 
young put in quarantine, if they are still alive, and put 
with a foster mother, if one is available, and all the hutches 
in the caviary thoroly disinfected, because both these 
diseases are contagious, and the rest of your cavies are 
apt to contract these diseases, especially if they are not 
in first-class condition. Pneumonia, diphtheria and tuber- 
culosis are usually recognized by heavy breathing, and 
when this is discovered the affected cavies should be quar- 
antined or killed. If the former is done, and the cavy 
recovers, he should be left in quarantine for at least two 
weeks more after he is well, and of course the hutch 
thoroughly disinfected. 

Occasionally a cavy will suffer from inflammation of 
the kidneys with excessive urination. This is often 
caused by feeding frozen food. Stop the bad food and put 
the cavy in a warm hutch. 

Sometimes a cavy is much annoyed by having a 
grain of oats or something of that sort in his ear. He will 
continually jerk his head toward the affected side. Inspect 
the inside of the ear and remove the offending particle, 
if found. 

Cavies sometimes choke to death, because there is a 
piece of food stuck in their throat. This cannot be cor- 
rected. Kill the cavy. 

Cavies with swellings about the neck should not be 
used for breeding until they have fully recovered. Some- 
times they have tuberculosis, sometimes only ordinary 
abscesses. The former will not recover. The latter usually 
do. 

58 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

Cavies may be infected with ringworm and other par- 
asitic skin diseases. For these, painting with tincture of 
iodine is the most efficient remedy. The infected cavies 
should be quarantined until they are perfectly well." 

When cavies are sick, they usually sit perfectly still, 
with their coat in an untidy condition and a ruffled appear- 
ance of the hair about the mouth. When this is noticed, 
remove the sick cavy to a separate hutch and wait a 
short time, until you have found out what the ailment is, 
and when this is found out, treat the sick cavy accordingly. 

However, there are but few animals that are subject 
to as few diseases as the cavy. If you take good care of 
your cavies, you will have very little experience with 
sick stock. Always try to prevent disease by taking good 
care of them rather than to try and cure them when sick. 
A good careful breeder will find that he will not lose more 
than an average of five out of every hundred he raises 
and these usually die the first week after they are born. 
It is always well to remember that "An ounce of Pre- 
vention is worth a pound of Cure. " 



THE VALUE OF BUYING STOCK DIRECT 
FROM THE BREEDER 

Any person contemplating to start in the cavy busi- 
ness, or breeders and fanciers who want additional stock, 
should not be mislead by buying their stock from pet 
stores, bird stores, etc. Stock purchased from the above 
places may occasionally be good breeders, but experience 
teaches us that a person very seldom gets desirable stock 
from dealers in pets. 

The proper place to buy stock is direct from the 
breeder. When stock is purchased direct from the breeder, 
you know exactly what you are getting, and you know 
that such stock is fit for breeding. By buying stock from 
the pet and bird stores, you don't know just what you are 




Poor Grade Cavies 




High Class Cavies 
Note the Difference 

60 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

getting, and it is indeed of great importance for the ama- 
teur cavy breeder and fancier to know the exact condition 
of his initial stock, since his entire success may be re- 
sponsible for the quality of his original stock. 

When buying cavies you should always demand the 
following information along with your stock for the price 
paid for them. The first and most important thing to 
know is their age and who owned them at birth; you 
should also know how long the breeder, from whom you 
buy your cavies has been the owner of the cavies you 
select. The breeder should also furnish you with exact 
information as to how many times the sows have had 
young and the total number of young produced to date, 
and by what kind of a boar she was bred each time. You 
should also demand exact information regarding the boars 
you purchase. When buying stock, it is not advisable 
to buy stock over a year old ; the best kind of stock to 
start with is young stock under six months of age which 
has not been bred before. This enables the amateur to 
keep complete and accurate records of the entire breeding 
period of his stock. 

To^be most successful, the first step after you pur- 
chase cavies should be to start your system of keeping 
record of your stock. It is really of great importance 
to know the exact standing of all of your stock at all 
times, and this is especially necessary if you expect to 
raise cavies and sell them for breeding purposes. Many 
cavy breeders today are unable to find a high price 
market, which they naturally expect, for the very rea- 
son that they are unable to sell along with their stock 
the complete record of same. 

Some system of keeping record accurately and with as 
little tim.e and space as possible, is just as necessary in 
the cavy industry as it is in any other business. Many a 
business has failed because there were no accurate records 
kept of all transactions. Now let us go back to the breeder 
for a moment. When you buy your cavies from the 
breeders, you know that the stock is exactly as repre- 
sented, and in case you do not find it so, it can be returned 
and should the breeder be dishonest, then the purchaser 

61 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

will get the protection of whatever Association he may 
be a member. Any person in the market for good reliable 
stock should always purchase his stock from a member of 
some reliable Association, which is in back of the stock 
he sells, and who will make good any serious loss sus- 
tained through buying stock from a dishonest member. 



62 



THE GREAT DEMAND FOR CAVIES . 

There are but few animals (if any at all) that will 
surpass the great demand which exists for pure bred, 
high class cavies. Cavies are wanted everywhere and the 
supply indeed is limited. During the Spring and Summer 
of 1916 it was practically impossible to buy cavies, except 
the poorer and lower grade stock, and if you wanted some 
show stock, you had to pay from $5.00 to $10.00 apiece 
for them. The laboratories are also experiencing a great 
shortage, and because of this fact many laboratories and 
hospitals are compelled to raise their own cavies, so they 
can feel sure they can get them when they want them. 
During the 1916 Greater Chicago Pet Stock Show many 
of the visitors had to go home without being able to buy 
some of the stock owing to the high prices and scarcity 
of pure bred exhibition stock. 

Laboratories are paying from 50 cents to $1.00 apiece 
for cavies, but they must have them and if they cost 
$5.00 apiece, so you can readily see the steady market 
there is for these cunning little animals. Most breeders 
however, do not sell their stock to laboratories, but prefer 
to sell them for fancy pets and for breeding purposes. 

Nothing much has been said about the value of the 
cavy's fur, but when this tremendous shortage is more 
generally overcome, this new market will be more thoroly 
cultivated. Should there be no other market for them 
outside of the laboratory and fancy, there are still the 
value of the cavy for food, fur, etc. to be considered. At 
any rate for the next ten years there will be a great 
demand for cavies and those who will become engaged 
in this splendid industry will certainly be on the road to 
success and will never regret they met the cavy. 

If you live near a large city or in a large city, you will 
always find bird stores, department stores and commis- 
sion houses who will buy up all the cavies they can get. 
You will find however that you will not care to dispose 
of much of your stock to such people, with the exception 
of the culls, perhaps, and those whose color is off, etc. 

63 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

To prove the scarcity of cavies and to satisfy the reader 
of this fact, it might be well to make an investigation in 
your own city or town, to find out who else is breeding 
cavies and we are sure that nine times out of ten, especial- 
ly in the smaller towns you will find that you are 
about the only one raising them. Just imagine when you 
are about the only one breeding them, what opportunities 
there are for you to develop a good market right in your 
own home town. 

There is an equally strong demand for the fancy 
Peruvian as well as the Abysinian. Children as well as 
young people and old folks can not help but take a liking 
to them because of their sparkling beauty, their pink 
eyes and silky hair. The Abyssinians with their pretty 
rosettes make an equal hit. The reader however should 
bear in mind that in order to obtain the best prices and 
always have a ready market he must have pure bred 
stock of which he keeps an accurate record. Unless this 
is done, the people who are in the market for some, are 
not apt to buy their stock from you, but will go to the 
breeder wte knows exactly the condition of each animal, 
and who can guarantee every single one to be pure bred. 
When you become suddenly overstocked and want to 
dispose of them quick, all you have to do is to run a small 
advertisement in pet stock or poultry magazines that 
reach a prospective class of people for your cavies. When- 
ever any stock is sold on the strength of an advertisement 
it is important that the stock which you sell is exactly 
as you have represented it to be in your advertising. 
Unless this is done it is only bound to work harm to you 
and your stock, and it may spoil future sales for you. 
As a rule when a person gets some good stock from a 
breeder he is going to tell his friends about it, but when 
he gets poor stock he will warn his friends not to buy 
any stock from the "Make Believe." 



CAVIES PREFERABLE TO OTHER PET STOCK 
POULTRY AND PIGEONS 

The cavy, looking at it from a commercial standpoint 
as well as a dear little pet, there hardly seems to be a 
doubt but that the cavy is by far the most profitable little 
animal to deal with. WHY? 

If you keep your cavies in the basement, you do not have 
to step outdoors in the cold winter mornings and evenings 
to feed them, but you can carefully look after them without 
even going out of your house. Those who have poultry- 
or pigeons, realize what trouble they have to contend 
with during the cold winter months looking after their 
stock. A few minutes after they have watered their stock, 
the water will freeze in the drinking pan, which of course 
necessitates more frequent watering, and if you give them 
water that is too cold, it is not good for them, and if you 
give them water that is too hot you burn their stomach. 
Here is where the cavy industry shines. The cavy does 
not need any water. Cavies can go without water through- 
out their life, enjoying perfect health. Looking at the 
cavy industry alone from the standpoint of saving trouble, 
time and money, it is well worth deep consideration from 
anyone who expects to follow the poultry, pigeon or pet 
stock line of any kind. THERE IS SOMETHING 
ABOUT THE CAVY THAT NEARLY EVERYBODY 
WHO HAS ANY LOVE OR SYMPATHY FOR PET 
STOCK, SEEMS TO LIKE. 

It may also be interesting to know that the cavy con- 
sumes less food and takes up considerable less room than 
does any other pet animal, including pigeons and poultry. 
Cavies can be kept in the basement in little hutches and 
put one hutch on top of the other until they reach the 
ceiling; without anybody ever knowing you had them. 
They make little noise and are indeed very clean; this 
stands to reason why so many women are commencing 
to enter this field full of opportunities. Cavies are entirly 
different from chickens; there are no eggs to hunt, no 
clucks to set and no baby chicks to look after. The cavy 

65 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

if kept inside of some building saves you all the foregoing 
trouble and then some. All the cavy wants is a little 
food in the morning and in the evening, and a clean 
hutch twice a week ; when cavies get this, they are satisfied 
to their hearts content. The only trouble that the breeders 
of cavies experience seems to be the difficulty in filling 
orders. Cavies are twice as easy to transport as chickens, 
because they take up such little room and they are much 
more easily fed while enroute. When the poultry man 
wants to dispose of his spring chickens he has to kill 
them and dress them, etc. All the cavy breeder has to 
do is to put his cavies in a little box for shipment and 
take them to the railroad station. The pigeon fancier 
has many difficulties to contend with of which the cavy 
breeder knows nothing, such as diseases which occur 
frequently among pigeons and result in the loss of life. 
Fancy pigeons owing to their slow breeding and difficulty 
in rearing them, are not in a class with cavies at all. 
Cavies breed fast and seldom get sick. Rabbits and other 
Pet stock such as silver fox, skunk, etc. require a good 
deal of time, trouble and money to run the business on a 
money making basis, whereas it requires but little money 
to get started in the cavy industry, and soon realize 
profits from your investment. The principle reason how- 
ever for choosing the cavy industry, is because of the ready 
market awaiting all the stock you can produce. At the 
present time there is no other animal for which there 
is such a universal demand as there is for the cavy, and 
this is simply due to the fact that people are realizing 
what a great opportunity there is in this new field. 



66 



HOW TO EXHIBIT CAVIES AND WHAT IT MEANS 

But few pet stock fanciers realize what it means for 
them to exhibit some of their fancy stock at the large 
Poultry and Pet Stock Exhibitions held all over the coun- 
try each year. These exhibitions are usually held during 
the Fall and Winter months, and these large exhibitions 
usually are run on a schedule, so that no two shows will 
be held during the same period, altho this does happen 
occasionally, but the large shows are never held so that 
two shows will be held at the same time. Any breeder 
of cavies or any other pet stock should not fail to over- 
look the opportunities which these large shows offer to 
the breeder. By exhibiting your stock at these exhibitions 
the people become acquainted with the quality of your 
stock as well as the reliability of same. By exhibiting 
a breeder becomes nationally known for what he has. But 
before a breeder puts any stock on exhibition, he should 
be careful to exhibit only the best he has, and they should 
be in fit condition before sending them away for exhibition. 
Several months before you send away your stock to the 
exhibitions, you should keep them separated and in a 
hutch by themself, with plenty of clean hay. Especially 
the Peruvians want to be kept separate in order to 
bring their fur up to the standard; if they were left in 
the breeding pen until a few days before exhibiting, their 
fur would not be in a condition to command much com- 
ment at the exhibition. It is also advisable to comb and 
brush the hair of the Peruvians in order to make their 
hair smooth and soft like velvet. When putting the ex- 
hibition stock in separate hutches before exhibiting, care 
should be taken to keep their hutches clean at all times. 

It is only through exhibition work that a breeder really 
learns the quality of his stock. Sometimes amateur 
breeders send away some of their stock to exhibitions, 
and when they learn that their stock won no prizes or 
perhaps 3d, 4th or 5th prizes, they become discouraged 
and quit exhibiting their stock; this is all wrong. It is 
usually through the first few exhibitions that a person learns 
and appreciates what good stock is. If the breeder or 

67 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

exhibitor lives in or near the city where exhibitions are 
held, he should, if at all possible, attend, and learn what 
the people think of his stock. Furthermore at these exhibi- 
tions you meet many of the large breeders and become ac- 
quainted with them, and you hardly ever leave the show 
room without feeling that you learned a whole lot, although 
you thought you knew it all. At these show rooms you 
can see hundreds and hundreds of cavies and it certainly 
is interesting to compare stock and learn why one cavy 
is better than another. Many sales are usually made 
right in the show rooms by breeders who have stock on 
exhibition, and very fancy prices are received for exhibi- 




Cups and Ribbons won by High Class Cavies at Pet Stock Exhibitions 



tion stock. Many people prefer to buy cavies at exhibi- 
tions, because when doing so they know exactly what 
they are getting, although they do pay a high price for 
what they purchase. 

But when buying exhibition stock, it is quite impor- 
tant to know the standing of such stock and how keen the 
competition was in the test. A cavy winning fifth prize 
may sometimes be much better than a cavy winning first 
prize. This is due to the number of cavies in a class. If 

68 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

there are only one or two cavies in a class, one is bound to 
get first prize and neither one may be in reality first class 
stock. The more cavies in a class the better the prize- 
winning stock. Therefore it is sometimes better to buy 
a cavy which won fifth prize in a class of ten rather 
than to buy a cavy which won first prize in a class of 
two. Therefore the number of cavies in a class is quite 
an important factor to the person who wishes to buy 
first-class exhibition stock. 




A pair of Cup Winr 



If breeders send their stock away for exhibition to the 
large shows in the larger cities like New York, Chicago, 
Los Angeles, etc. and are unable to attend these shows,' 
but wish to sell some of their exhibition stock, they may 
do so, by advising the manager in charge of the exhibition, 
the stock for sale and the price wanted for them. These 
people will make a charge of about 10% of the amount 
of the sale for their trouble in selling the stock for the 
exhibitor. When sending stock away for exhibition, it 
is always advisable to send some of your business cards 
along with instructions that they be put on the pen or 
pens containing your stock, so that the people can readily 
see who the owner of the stock is. 

Any person who has been the owner of the stock which 
he expects to put on exhibition, for two months or more, 
is eligible to enter these contests. The large shows usually 
charge an entry fee of 50 cents for each cavy exhibited, 
some of the smaller shows make only a charge of 25 cents 

• 69 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

for each entry. For display pens they usually charge from 
one dollar and up according to the size of the pen, and the 
amount of stock to go in same. The express charges must 
be paid both ways by the exhibitor. Stock to be shipped 
away from home to the large cities, should always be 
shipped so that it will arrive at the show a day or two 
before the show opens. By no means should the stock 
be permitted to arrive later than the day on which the 
show rooms are opened. All entries must be made in the 
name of the owner, or owners of the stock to be exhibited. 
No stock is permitted to be handled at the shows except 
the judge or the owners. Diseased animals are not ad- 
mitted to the exhibition rooms. Most of the judging is 
done by the comparison method. All judges must be li- 
censed by the Association giving the exhibitions, and 
are usually men of many years of experience along this 
line. 

Disqualification — By disqualification is meant that 
stock sent to the exhibition is not eligible for the contest. 
Such stock will be returned to the owner shortly after it 
arrives at the show. The cavy will be disqualified by the 
large shows for some of the following reasons : Deformities 
in any way, such as crooked feet, or otherwise crippled. 
Any stock entered as Junior Stock and which is over four 
months old. Eyes not matching each other. White cavies 
with dark ears, dark feet and dark nose, or eyes other than 
pink. Solid color cavies with spots of other colors in them, 
no matter how small they may be, will be disqualified. 
If it is discovered by the judge or committee in charge 
of the exhibition stock that fraudulent methods have 
been employed such as dyeing the color of objectional 
hair, etc., such stock will also be disqualified and in some 
cases the exhibitor will be fined for doing so, if he is 
detected. No person is able to exhibit stock unless he 
has been the owner of such stock for two months prior 
to the exhibition. If an exhibitor is discovered showing 
stock of which he has not been the rightful owner for two 
months prior to the show, his stock will be disqualified. 
Care should be taken not to have disqualified stock at 
the show, since this will only affect the reputation of the 
breeder. 

70 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

Cavies are usually exhibited under the following 
classes: SENIOR BOAR-SENIOR SOW-JUNIOR 
BOAR— JUNIOR SOW for all the different breeds 
and varieties. Care should be taken not to enter stock 
under four months old in the Senior Class, as well as not 
to enter stock over four months old in the Junior Class, 
Should this be discovered by the judge or show committee 
disqualification will be the result. 

Prizes as follows are usually awarded to the following 
winners at the large shows: 

Silver Cup for the best display of cavies. 
Silver Cup for the largest display of cavies. 
Silver Cup for the best cavy in each class. 
Silver Cup or medal for the best cavy in the show. 
Cash prizes are usually awarded as follows : 

Two dollars for the first prize in a class, and one dollar 
to the second prize winner. Handsome ribbons are usually 
awarded to the third, fourth and fifth winners in a class. 
A number of special prizes are usually awarded by indi- 
viduals, associations, etc. For complete information re- 
garding any particular show in which the reader might 
be interested, write to the secretary or manager who has 
charge of such show and who will be glad to give any 
information desired to those who are thinking of exhibit- 
ing some of their stock. 

Exhibitions given by the National Pet Stock Associa- 
tion are largely responsible for the present popularity of 
the cavy in America, and everybody should support their 
exhibitions. 



71 



HOW TO MARKET CAVIES AND WHAT PRICES 
TO EXPECT. 

The market end of the cavy industry is really most 
encouraging. But few industries have such ready markets 
as does the cavy industry. Orders usually come in much 
faster than they can be filled, and it is for this reason that 
they maintain such good prices. Laboratories pay from 
25 cents to 75 cents apiece for healthy young stock about 
eight weeks old and many times when such stock is 
scarce, even higher prices are paid for them, but 50 cents 
is a good average price to expect from any laboratory 
who wants good healthy and reliable stock. 

When a person is raising cavies in large quantities 
and desires to sell his stock to laboratories, it is advisable 
to make some kind of arrangements with some laboratory 
who will buy all the superfluous stock. When doing so 
you take no risk whatever; for there is a market and 
they want your stock. By having a contract with some 
reliable laboratory or other institution where they use the 
cavy for experimenting purposes, better prices are usually 
obtained. 

But if the breeder is not raising them in large enough 
quantities to make a contract with some laboratory, then 
they can be disposed of by sending them to any large 
breeder who makes a specialty of supplying laboratories, 
and who are usually always looking for good healthy 
stock with which to fill the laboratories' demand. These 
breeders who buy them up for the laboratory usually pay 
from 35 to 50 cents apiece for them. Most breeders now 
days from whom stock is bought for breeding purposes, 
usually make some kind of an agreement with the pur- 
chasers of their stock, whereby the purchaser can sell 
back to the breeder from whom he bought his stock, any 
stock produced by the stock he originally bought, at a 
given price, which usually averages about 50 cents. This 
not only insures the reliability of the breeders stock, but 
also assures the purchaser of a ready market for all the 
stock which he can produce from the stock purchased 
from the breeder with whom such an agreement has been 

72 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

made a part of the sale. The breeders who sell their 
stock on this basis, usually also demand the stock to be 
about a certain age, when they buy back from their cus- 
tomers. The large reliable breeders usually have a volume 
of orders for good stock, and are therefore in a position 
to buy from the smaller breeder all such stock as they may 
have for sale, providing of course that the stock is guar- 
anteed in every respect. 

If the breeder would sell all the stock he raised to the 
laboratory at an average price of 50 cents, he would be 
making a handsome profit, not worth overlooking, but 
we have at the present time a bigger and better field 
with more opportunities than the laboratory offers to the 
breeder, and that is selling stock for breeding purposes 
and for fancy pet stock. Of course only the best stock 
should be sold for these purposes, sending the culls to 
the laboratory. Reliable breeders are realizing all the 
way from $5.00 to $15.00 a trio for their stock. Of course 
the amateur breeder should not expect to get $15.00 for 
every trio he sells, but should be satisfied with reasonable 
prices, for it is not until a breeder has been in the business 
for some time and has gained fame and national reputa- 
tion, that he can expect and command high prices for 
his stock, and this point of recognition can only be gained 
by being a breeder of the best stock obtainable and by 
keeping up the standard of his stock at all times. How- 
ever, $5.00 a trio for the smooth haired English cavies 
should be the lowest price for which any reliable breeder 
should sell his stock, while the fancier class of cavies 
such as Peruvians, Abyssinians, Peruvian Silkeyes, Agou- 
tis and the chocolate color smooth haired cavies should 
bring higher prices. 



ADVERTISING AND SELLING 

The subject of Advertising and Selling is entirely too 
much overlooked by the present business world, although 
the more progressive class of people who are in business 
are fast awaking to the possibilities which advertising 
offers. Buying and selling are the two important factors 
which constitute successful "business" and unless these 
two branches of any business are properly carried on, no 
great success can ever be achieved. While careful buying is 
quite important in any business, the selling end of the 
business is still more important and this is a proven fact. 
Almost any person can buy — but not everybody has got 
the ability to sell. Advertising in the true sense of the 
word is nothing more than "Silent Salesmanship," in 
other words advertising without salesmanship and sales- 
manship without advertising does not work out very 
well. But if Advertising and Salesmanship go hand in 
hand then "Big Things" can be accomplished. Adver- 
tising is the Silent Salesman which interests people in 
your goods or stock, makes sales, creates prestige and 
develops your business while you are devoting your time 
to other duties. While advertising in selected publications 
will talk to a group of prospective people at one time, it is 
doing something which nothing else can do so effectively. 
In few words "Advertising is the art of selling through pub- 
licity. " But as soon as inquiries are received to adver- 
tisements it is up to the advertiser to follow up this 
prospect and close the sale; here is where salesmanship 
must complete the transaction. It is useless to run at- 
tractive advertising and then when the inquiries to such 
advertising are coming in to neglect giving them proper 
attention. While not everybody has the talent to write 
a good business letter, it can nevertheless be mastered 
by a little experience. In a short time you will be able to 
discover what kind of letters are getting the desired re- 
sults. The cavy breeder and fancier, who is raising cavies 
for commercial, as well as fancy and breeding purposes 
should not overlook the opportunities which advertising 
offers. Advertising to bring the desired results must 
accomplish the following: 

74 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

1st — Your ad must be written in an attractive manner 
so that it cannot help but attract the reader's attention 
and draw his eye to your advertisement. 

2nd— Your advertisement must hold the reader's 
close attention and interest until he has finished reading 
the entire advertisement. 

3d — ^After the reader has finished reading your adver- 
tisement there should be a desire down in his heart to 
want the goods or stock you advertise. 

4th — When this prospective reader writes for infor- 
mation, prices, etc., regarding your stock, and you use 
a little tact and salesmanship and sell him the goods 
for which you have created a desire then your adver- 
tisement has fulfilled its mission. 

What Publications to Use— It is quite important 
to use the right class of publications if you expect to cash 
in on your advertising. But in the first place be sure you 
have the stock that you advertise. Do not advertise 
stock which you have not got, since this will result in dis- 
appointment with those who inquire about your stock, 
besides you will have to waste a lot of time taking care 
of such useless correspondence. Do not advertise first 
class stock and then when the order is received fill it with 
poor stock. This will not only disappoint the purchaser 
of your stock but will also spoil your good reputation. 
The kind of papers in which to advertise cavies or other 
pet stock, are pet stock publications as well as Farm Jour- 
nals, in other words use such mediums through which you 
can reach the class of people who are more or less interested 
in animals and nature. While it does not pay to advertise 
in daily newspapers, it has been proven that it does pay to 
use poultry, pet stock and farm publications to good 
advantage. Space in some magazines is rather expensive, 
and therefore it is necessary to carefully word your adver- 
tisement, so that good results can be had from small 
space. In few words, the kind of a publication which 
brings results, is the one with which you can reach the 
most prospective class of people at a minimum cost. 



75 



HOW TO TRANSPORT CAVIES 

After a sale of cavies has been made the next important 
step is to see that the cavies are properly and promptly 
delivered to the purchaser, and unless this end of it is 
properly handled, it is little use to waste time and money 
in trying to build up a business and establish a market. 

One of the most important things in shipping stock is 
to ship them so they will reach their destination safely 
and promptly. They should not be en route on Sundays 
or Holidays, because transportation service is not as good 
on such days as it is during the regular week days, and 
chances are the stock will be held over Sundays or holi- 
days in express offices or other places which might sub- 
ject them to the danger of rats, who are usually found 
in express offices. Most of us know that the rat con- 
siders the cavy, especially if it is young, a pretty good 
meal, therefore it is not advisable to place cavies in a 
position where the rats can get at them. While it is 
just as easy to make a practice of sending shipments 
on Monday or Tuesday, it certainly is most advisable 
to do so. This gives the Consignor every assurance 
that the stock will be delivered to the Consignee before 
the end of the week. 

Cavies should always be sent "Collect" rather than 
"Charges Prepaid." It is not advisable to establish a 
precedent of prepaying charges, because once this is done 
it is always expected from the purchasers, furthermore 
this makes it also more diffcult for the breeder to quote 
prices to his prospects, since the express charges vary 
considerably, and this would not enable him to have a 
standard price on his stock. Of course when cavies are 
sent to exhibitions it is of great importance that the 
express charges be paid both ways by the exhibitor. 

The number of cavies to be put in one box depends 
largely on the distance they have to go. 

Cavies may be safely shipped in boxes based on the 
following schedule: 

76 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

For the shipment of one cavy — use a box 10" long. 
7'' wide and 5" high. 

For the shipment of two cavies — use a box 1 1 " long 
8" wide and 5 "high. 

For the shipment of three cavies — use a box 1 3 " long 
9" wide and 5 "high. 

For the shipment of five cavies — use a box 16" long 
12" wide and 5" high. 

For the shipment of eight cavies — use a box 20" long 
14" wide and 7" high. 

For the shipment of ten cavies — use a box 21" long 
15" wide and 7" high. 

For the shipment of twelve cavies — use a box 22 " long 
16" wide and 7" high. 

The above sized boxes should be used where the ship- 
ment consists of about a two days trip. If the shipment 
is a little further than two days, a little more room might 
be given them. The above sized boxes apply to full grown 
cavies and smaller boxes may be used for young stock. 
Sawdust or bran should always be put on the floor of 
shipping boxes. This prevents dampness to a certain 
extent as well as the possibility of diseases. Plenty of 
hay and carrots as well as a little oats should be put in the 
box on which they may feed during their journey. In 
the winter the hay not only serves for food but keeps 
them warm as well. It is not advisable to ship cavies 
during real cold weather nor is it advisable to ship them 
during extremely hot weather. Care should be taken 
that the shipping boxes are properly ventilated and 
marked with plainly written tags, which should always 
contain the sender's name and address as well as the 
consignee's name and address. 

The "Carrying Case" as shown on page 78 is very 
handy and convenient to use for delivering stock in and 
around your home town. One of these cases, as you can see 
will accommodate nine pigs or about eighteen young ones, 
two in each section. Of course they should not be left in 
these cases longer than possible, and this case is not made 
for the purposes of shipping them, but rather for quick 
■. 17 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

deliveries, taking them to an exhibition in your town, 
etc. These cases can be carried around in the street car 
or on the street and people will not even know what 
they contain. They can be built larger or smaller than 
the one shown in the illustration, just as is desired. In 
making this case care should be taken not to overlook 
the ventilation holes which are very important, since 
the room and air in each section is rather limited. 




Handy Carrying Case. 
Each section measures 5 in. high, 8 in. wide, 5 in. deep. 

When sending Peruvians to exhibitions, care should 
be taken not to permit them to run together in the ship- 
ping box, but each one should be in a section by itself. 
If permitted to run together they will nibble around 
on their coat which renders them unfit for first-class ex- 
hibition. 



78 



HOW TO START 

Any person thinking of starting in the cavy industry 
should start small and grow big, rather than to start big 
and fail in his undertaking. This is the very reason 
why so many business men fail today. They want to 
start on too large a scale, and hence their failure. 

It is however, advisable for a beginner to get a pair 
of every variety to start with, if possible. The reason 
for making this suggestion is because it gives the beginner 
an opportunity to study each variety and learn which 
variety he likes best. After he has definitely decided on 
the variety he likes best, he should make a specialty of 
breeding that particular variety. Of course this is not say- 
ing that you should breed one variety exclusively, but we 
simply mean to say that you should make a special study 
of that particular variety and try to bring them up to a 
higher standard of perfection. 

If a person wants to specialize in one variety only, it 
is not necessary to dispose of all other varieties, but it 
is much better if a person keeps a few of every variety, 
but of course a much larger number should be kept of 
those in which he is specializing. This enables you to 
keep posted on the different varieties and at the same 
time you learn which ones are doing best. When you 
are making a specialty of one particular variety, care 
should be taken to breed only the best quality of stock 
obtainable. Those breeders who are specializing in a 
certain variety usually find it very easy to dispose of 
all their surplus stock at good prices, because any per- 
son in the market for a certain variety usually buys 
his stock from the breeder who makes a specialty of 
breeding one particular variety, because he knows that 
when he buys from such a breeder, he is getting some 
good stock, and this is very true as a rule. 

When starting in the cavy industry it always pays to 
start with good stock bought direct from reliable breeders 
and not from dealers, pet stores, etc. The beginner should 
always start if possible with stock not over six months 

79 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

old, for the reason that when stock is bought at this age 
you know that they have not been bred, and at the same 
time offers you an opportunity to keep an exact record of 
their entire breeding period, or as long as you are the 
owner of same. When buying stock much older than 
six months, it is hard to tell their exact age and besides 
you don't know what their past records are. Therefore, 
for the sake of having an accurate knowledge of your 
stock it certainly is advisable to buy cavies not over six 
months old. Elaborate hutches are not necessary to start 
with, but system and complete records must start with 
the first pair, if you want to keep up the standard of your 
cavies. Before making your first purchase of cavies it 
might be advisable to write for literature and information 
from different breeders, in order that you might obtain 
their views and get a line on the stock raised by the dif- 
ferent breeders. However, by no means should you 
sacrifice quality for price. It is much better to pay 
$10.00 for a pair of good cavies than to pay $2.00 a 
pair for an inferior class of stock. It is not advisable to 
encourage breeders with orders who are selling their 
stock at very low prices; this is usually a sure sign of 
inferior stock, for we all know that good high grade 
stock can not be purchased at a very low price. It is 
really very important that the amateur who starts in the 
cavy industry, starts with good reliable stock; for the 
entire future success usually depends on the quality of 
the original stock. 



THE CAVY BREEDERS TEN COMMANDMENTS 

1 . Thou shalt not keep Cavies in damp and un- 
sanitary hutches. 

2. Thou shalt protect thine Cavies against diseases 
and other enemies. 

3. Thou shalt not wean young Cavies until they are 
at least three weeks old. 

4. Thou shalt put forth endless efforts to become an 
efficient and famous Breeder. 

5. Thou shalt not breed young stock under six months 
of age. 

6. Thou shalt not be rough with thine Cavies, but 
handle them with great care. 

7. Thou shalt not misrepresent thine stock in Ad- 
vertising or Correspondence. 

8. Thou shalt breed for size, shape and color rather 
than for quantity. 

9. Thou shalt keep clean oats and hay before thine 
Cavies at all times. 

10. Thou shalt not be a dead one, but a live wire 
and a true and enthusiastic Fancier. 



«i 



DIFFERENT VARIETIES 



There are but few other pet animals in the pet stock 
world that offer as large a selection of varieties as does 
the cavy. There is nothing monotonous about the cavy 
whatsoever, and if you don't like a certain variety or 
color, then there are many others to choose from. They 
come in the following breeds and varieties. 

White 

Black 

Cream 

Red 

Blue 

Chocolate 

Tortoise and White 

Tortoise 

Dutch Marked 

Himalayan 

Brindles 

Silver Agouti 

Golden Agouti 



ENGLISH SMOOTH 
HAIRED CAVIES 



ABYSSINIAN 



PERUVIAN 



PERUVIAN SILKEYES. 



Black 

Red 

Cream 

White 

Chocolate 

Broken Colors 

Cream 
Black 
Red 
White 
Broken Color 

Black 
Red 
White 
Broken Color 



All these different breeds and varieties and how to 
obtain them will be thoroughly explained on the follow- 
ing pages. 



82 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

The English solid colors come in the following varieties : 
Black, Cream, Red, Blue, Chocolate and White. 

The solid color English smooth haired cavy, unlike 
all other breeds and varieties seems to be the most popu- 
lar and in greatest demand. Breeders and fanciers all 
over the country are nearly always oversold on solid 
color English cavies. Of course it is not such an easy mat- 
ter to produce solid colors, but once you have your strain 
developed then your difficulty has been overcome, and 
you will always find the demand greater than the supply. 
Of course it is not so difficult to produce the solid colors, 
but to produce the desirable shade as well as size and 
shape, are the difficult problems in raising solid color 
cavies, and therefore we will go on to explain in detail 
how to obtain the desirable colors. 

PURE WHITE ENGLISH CAVIES 

Because the English WHITES are the most popular 
among the solid colors, I have decided to describe them 
first. Careful and conscientious breeders have put a 
number of years of careful study into this particular 
variety, to produce pure white cavies, and their labor 




Pure White English Cavy 

along this line has had its reward. They have brought 
the white cavy from an unsightly and most undesirable 
specimen up to one of the most popular varieties. Of 

83 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

course this required years of careful breeding, but it 
was well worth the while. Here is how the white cavy 
looked years ago; its shape was exceedingly ratty, and 
the general appearance was such that nobody would 
take a fancy to them. Also their eyes were not of such a 
clear pink color as they are found today, and their ears, 
nose and feet were more or less dark and smutty in ap- 
pearance. Here is what the present day white cavy 
looks like: It is large in size, has well proportioned shape, 
with a short blunt nose. Their eyes are of a clear pink 
color and their ears, nose and feet are white. Their coat 
and color must be even throughout with broad shoulders 
and a good Roman nose, and the ears like in all varieties 
of cavies must be drooping, and should neither stand 
up nor hang down, but extend straight away from their 
head. Good white boars are an absolute essential in pro- 
ducing worth while WHITES. 

PURE BLACK ENGLISH CAVIES 

The black cavy in popularity comes second to the 
white cavy, and during the years of careful breeding 
which have been put into the blacks, they have not as 
yet reached a degree of certainty, that is but few breeders 




Pure Black English Cav; 



can guarantee their blacks to produce pure black young- 
sters. White and red seem to play the most discouraging 
part, and if the cavy is not a pure black, it is most apt 
to contain either a few red or white spots. This is very 
likely due to the fact that the solid black cavy originally 



84 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

comes from the broken color, and by years of careful 
line-breeding, cross-breeding and inbreeding, the solid 
black color was produced, and now it will occasionally 
throw back some of the off-colors, but in a few more 
years hence, there should be an established strain of 
solid blacks, that can be guaranteed to produce blacks. 
The solid blacks have a very attractive fur and when 
properly tanned their fur is unexcelled. 

SOLID CREAM COLOR CAVIES 

The solid color cream is third in popularity among 
the solid color varieties. Its rich cream color cannot 
help but attract attention. The good creams have just 
been developed during the past few years, and the cream 
cavy of today has almost reached the standard of per- 
fection. The cream color cavy is a result of continuous 
crossing between the reds and the whites, and by care- 
ful breeding ard cross-breeding the solid cream resulted, 
and according to the demand for them, it seems as if 
the creams have come to stay. When breeding cream 
color cavies, it is always desirable to keep in connection 
with them, a few good whites and also a few good reds. 
Because when they run too light in color it becomes 
necessary to use a red boar for one mating or so, and 
if the color runs too dark then use a good white boar for 
a mating. In other words it is really necessary to keep 
a few reds and whites in order to regulate the color. 
But once you have established a good cream, it is not 
very hard to breed them, and they will nearly always 
produce true to color. They should be large throughout, 
with good head and shoulders, large black eyes and 
drooping ears, and their feet and ears should also be 
of a cream color. 



SOLID RED COLOR CAVIES 

The red, while it is fourth in popularity, is by no 
means an undesirable color to raise. Good reds while 
they are hard to produce, are certainly worth almost 
any price, when the deep rich red is obtained. Of course 

85 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 




.Solid Red English Cavy 

it is somewhat difficult to build up a good strain of reds, 
but good results can be obtained in one or two years of 
careful breeding. One of the greatest difficulties in breed- 
ing solid reds, is that they always have a tendency to 
run too light in color. They should have a dark deep rich 
red color, and their ears should be red. There are any 
number of reds with good color, but their undercoat 
is usually too light. Their ears should be red, their eyes 
large and bold and their feet should also be red, and 
NOT black. They should be large in size, and have a 
good blunt nose. 

SOLID BLUE ENGLISH CAVY 
Nothing much can be said about this variety as yet, 
because a number of breeders are still working on this 
variety to bring out its hidden beauty, and no doubt a 
few years hence, the experimenting breeders will have 
something good to show. 

SOLID CHOCOLATE COLOR CAVY 
The same as is true of the blue cavies, is also true of 
the chocolate cavy. 

TORTOISE AND WHITE CAVIES 
While many of the more experienced breeders would 
rather prefer solid colors, it remains a fact nevertheless 
that the beginner does v\ell to begin with tortoise and 

86 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

whites or broken colors as they are sometimes referred 
to, because they are not so hard to raise and it affords 
a good study in reproduction of colors. There are also a 
number of experienced breeders who make a specialty 
of the tortoise and whites, and their argument is that 
they always have something to look forward to. It affords 
a great deal of study to produce the right kind of tortoise 
and whites, and the matings must be watched very closely, 
if correctly marked youngsters are expected A tortoise 
and white cavy properly marked should txjntaip. .ss many 
distinct patches of red, white and black colors as possible 



WS3k 


^^^v 


H|H 




H^H 


BF ^^^^^1 



Tortoise and White Cavy 

These patches should be as numerous as possible and 
must be distinct, that is one color must not run into the 
other. The three distinct colors should be of the same 
pure color as is found in the solid color cavies. It is 
nothing unusual to hear of a perfectly marked tortoise 
and white boar sell for prices from $10 to $50. They 
should be large in size with bold eyes and drooping ears, 
and their shoulders which should be broad and heavy 
are one of the important features of the tortoise and 
white. 

TORTOISE SHELL CAVIES 

The tortoise shell cavy consists of patches in two 
distinct colors which are red and black. They should 
contain an equal number of patches in each color. Many 
new fanciers get the tortoise and the tortoise and white 

87 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

mixed. They are two distinctly different varieties, and 
each is in a class by itself. Good tortoises are very 




Nicely Marked Tortoise Shell Cavy 

scarce, and if good markings are obtained on them, good 
prices can also be obtained for them. 

DUTCH MARKED CAVIES 

The Dutch marked cavy while it is very pretty and 
while there is a good demand for them, it nevertheless 
remains a fact that the Dutch marked cavy is not very 
easy to produce. It is indeed rather tedious and tiresome 




Black and White Dutch Marked Cavy 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

work to bring this particular variety up to a point where 
it will breed true to color. They come in red and white 
and black and white. The Dutch marked cavy is marked 
exactly like the Dutch rabbit, and the picture on page 88 
gives a good idea of what it should look like. There are 
but few breeders who are specializing on this variety, 
but they are putting lots of tim.e and patience into per- 
fecting this variety, and no doubt their efforts will sooner 
or later materialize. 

HI MALAYANS 

The Himialayan cavies are marked exactly the same 
as Himalayan rabbits. That is, their feet, ears and nose 
are a perfect black while the rest of their coat should be 
a pure white. Himalayans are \ery pretty and are net so 
hard to raise, the only difficulty being to produce the 
right shade of black on their nose. This usually runs in 
too much of a chocolate color. Any person breeding 




Himalayan 

Himalayans should always keep on hand some white 
cavies, as that is the breed from which the Himalayan 
was originally produced. A properly marked boar is the 
most essential part in producing good Himalayans. 

BRINDLE COLORED CAVIES 

The brindle color cavy has not met with much success 
in the United States. First, because its looks are not 
very appealing, and second, because it is a hard color 

89 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

to produce properly. The brindle cavy is a result of 
crossing between the blacks and the reds, and years of 
study to this particular color is the result of the present 
day brindle color cavy. In England, however, the brin- 
dle cavies are quite popular, and they have devoted con- 
siderable time in trying to bring this class up to a higher 
standard of perfection. Its hair should be evenly inter- 
mixed with red and black throughout the body, and 
should not contain any distinct patches of either red or 
black; the entire coat must be properly intermixed with 
red and black. There exists a question of doubt as to 
whether or not the brindle color cavy will ever become 
popular in this country or not. 

AGOUTIS 
Agoutis are considered quite pretty among cavy 
fanciers and it usually miakes a hit at the exhibitions. They 
are a result of years of careful breeding and the best speci- 
mens seem to be produced in England, as a number of 
Agoutis are imported regularly from the Old Country. 
There are two distinct varieties of Agoutis, namely 
the Silver Agouti and the Golden Agouti. The Silver 
Agouti has a fur similar to that of the wild rabbit, and 




Golden Agouti 

their belly-coat should be of silver grey. The Golden 
Agouti has a fur of a golden nature similar to that of a 
squirrel, with a deep red belly-coat. Once a good strain 
is developed, it is not very hard to breed them. 

90 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 
ABYSSINIANS 

Abyssinians come in the following varieties: black, 
white, cream, red, chocolate and broken colors. The 
solid color Abyssinians are quite pretty and are gaining 
in popularity every year. The Abyssinian cavies are 




Black Abyssinian Cavy 

hardly every used for any commercial purposes, but are 
raised and sold mostly for pets. They have a beautiful 
ruffled fur which is divided into rosettes. The more ro- 
settes the Abyssinian cavy has, the prettier and more valu- 




W'liite Xhv^sinian Cavies 



able it is considered to be. The Abyssinians appear to be a 
good deal larger than the smooth haired cavies, but in 
reality they are not any heavier, and it is their rough 
and wiry fur which makes them appear larger. Of course 
the larger the Abyssinian the better. High class Abys- 



91 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

sinians are quite scarce, and anyone desiring to make 
a specialty of them should be careful to select only the 
best kind of stock obtainable for breeding purposes. 
The white Abyssinians are the prettiest and scarcest and 
therefore are always in great demand. 

PERUVIANS 

Peruvians come in the following varieties: cream, 
black, red, white and broken colors. The Peruvian cavy 
is without a question the aristocrat in cavydom. They 
are raised exclusively for pets, and are indeed very pretty. 




Beautiful Black Peruvian 

The Peruvian has gained considerable popularity during 
the past few years, and will no doubt continue to hold its 
own among the Cavy Fancy. The larger the Peruvian 
the better. Their fur consists of long and silky hair. 
The Peruvian's length of coat is quite important, and 
the longer their coat the better it is. The coat of the 
Peruvian should part below the spine and flow down the 
sides in the form of a mane. The coat flowing forward 
over the head should be as long as the coat over the back, 
so that a person is unable to distinguish which is head 
or tail; this, with a nice mane, fine texture of the coat 
and size, and you have an ideal Peruvian. Where their 
coat parts below the spine on their back, you will some- 
times find a bald spot; this is quite undesirable; there 
should be a distinguishable parting of their coat, but 
should not show a bald spot. Peruvians should not have 

92 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

any rosettes whatever, and the only separation of coat 
should be on their back, which separates part of their 
coat to the back and part of it to the front over their 
head. 

Peruvians if intended for exhibition should be put in 
a hutch by themselves. If left together they will nibble 
around their coat, which renders them unfit for exhibi- 
tion. Stock intended for exhibition should be separated 
at least two months before the exhibition. Extra care 
should be exercised in the breeding of Peruvians, since 
they are quite delicate and easily subject to cold. Avoid 
draft and dampness at all times. The white Peruvians 
seem to be the most popular. They have pretty pink eyes, 
and always breed true to color, while with the other 
varieties it is sometimes a difficult problem to obtain 
just the desired color and markings. 

PERUVIAN SILKEYES 

The Peruvian Silkeye is similar to the Peruvian, only 
that their head is practically the same as the English 
smooth* haired cavy. Their coat with the exception of 
their head should be long and silky. They come in the 
same varieties as the Peruvian. F'or some unknown 
reason they are not as popular as the Peruvian, but with 
a little more time and attention they should soon be 
made more popular. 



NOTES OF INTEREST REGARDING THE CAVY 
INDUSTRY. 

Comments are being made by all pet stock fanciers, 
breeders, professionals and amateurs to the effect that 
cavies are without any question of doubt the most profit- 
able and fascinating little animals in the pet stock world. 
The United States Department of Agriculture speaks 
well about the cavy and recommends the rearing of them 
for both pleasure as well as profit. Magazines and News- 
papers of the smaller cities as well as publications of the 
Metropolitan cities run articles regarding the usefulness 
of the cavy. The Chicago Daily News in one of their 
two column articles on "Profitable Hobbies" writes in 
part as follows : "With this large and permanent scientific 
market for animals, it is curious that more people have 
not followed the example of the San Francisco Woman 
and started a side line of guinea pigs. As a business by 
itself it would probably not prove profitable but the 
original investment is so small and the amount of time 
required so negligible that as a sideline it could hardly 
fail to be successful. Guinea pigs, for instance, yield great- 
er returns when raised as an adjunct to a small truck 
farm, because they require a lot of green food which is 
supplied by the waste of the farm, but is rather expensive 
if purchased itself. The loose leaves of cabbage, the tops 
of carrots and the inferior roots not worth bunching are 
food on which the guinea waxes fat. One Long Island 
woman started raising guinea pigs for the Rockefeller 
Institute in order to enhance the income derived from 
her small truck farm. The animals proved the better 
investment and now she uses the truck farm to enhance 
the value of the guinea pigs." When papers of interna- 
tional fame like the Chicago Daily News run articles on 
cavies and endorse the raising of them for pleasure and 
profit, surely there must be something to it. 

The National Pet Stock Association which was estab- 
lished in 1910 has done wonderful work for bringing the 
cavy out of the insignificant class of rodents and placing 
it in the front ranks of the Pet Stock World. The Official 
Magazine of this Association called "The Pet Stock 

94 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

Fancier" brings together all the breeders of cavies as well 
as other pet stock fanciers and holds annual Pet Stock 
Shows all over the United States. This Association is 
responsible for making the exhibition of pet stock famous 
and the breeders are all cashing in on these exhibitions 
by exhibiting their cavies and receiving wonderful prices 
for their stock. The outlook for the next ten years at 
least, is very promising, and those who will enter this 
profitable industry now, cannot help but be successful, 
by either devoting part or all of their time to the raising 
of cavies. 




A Group of Coming Fanciers. 



Since the Great European War cavies have become 
more scarce than ever. Owing to the large demand for 
them in the United States they were imported in this 
country regularly, but since this great war has been raging 
in Europe, they have been unable to import cavies to 
the United States for the reason that they could not 
get enough themselves for the testing of various serums 
and antitoxins, as well as using them for food. 

It may also be of interest to know that many doctors 
are keeping cavies as a side line and usually for the 
following reasons: First, because they need them for 
their own use, and therefore know the reliability of same, 

95 



CAVIES FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 

and second, because of their fanciness. And furthermore 
they have been educated to appreciate nature and 
admire the beauty and usefulness which the cavy po- 
sesses. 

The United Cavy Breeders Association which was 
organized in February, 1916, is also making wonderful 
progress. This is an exclusive Association for Cavy 
Breeders and Fanciers, their aim being to sell and breed 
a higher class of cavies and assure all members of a ready 
market for all the stock they care to sell. 

While the European countries have been and still are 
predominating over the United States in the "Cavy 
Fancy" we feel that it is our duty to work harder than 
eyei and boost the cavy to the very limit of our ability, 
and it is our hope that in a few years the United States 
will lead all other countries in the Pet Stock Fancy. 

Let us all put our shoulder to the wheel and make 
the cavy the biggest thing that ever happened. The 
reward is bound to come sooner or later. 



CONCLUSION 

After reading this book, the reader should ask himself 
this question; what is more pleasant and profitable thaxT 
the Cavy Industry? There should be no question of 
doubt in the mind of those who are interested in cavies, 
about the wonderful opportunity this new field offers. 

Here is what the United States Department of Agri- 
culture say about the cavy in their Farmers Bulletin No. 
525 which can be had by writing to Washington for it. 
"The rearing of cavies requires no extraordinary knowl- 
edge and no great outlay of capital. Little space is needed 
to accommodate the animals, which are hardy and easily 
m.anaged. They make interesting pets and are useful 
food animals. The constantly increasing demand for 
them in scientific investigations and medical research 
insure a ready market for reasonable number at prices 
that should be remunerative to the producer." 

You can readily see that this must be a profitable 
industry when the U. S. Government recommends the 
rearing of cavies to those who are interested in pet stock. 
Poultry, pigeons and other pet stock do not offer the 
same profits as does the cavy. RIGHT NOW is the 
opportune time to enter this fine field. The longer you 
wait the more money and pleasure you are losing. There 
is always a great demand for cavies, during any time of 
the year. 

Those who are not working away from home during 
the day will find it interesting and profitable enough to 
put more time and money into it, and those who are only 
home in the morning and evening, find it a splendid 
recreation to be with them when at home, at the same 
time making considerable money in spare moments. 
This is not only an industry for children, but men, women 
and old folks take great pleasure in rearing cavies. 

END 



Pet Stock Magazines Worth Reading 



THE PET 
STOCK 
FANCIER 

508 South Dearborn Street 
Chicago, Illinois 

The Pet Stock Fancier is the 
official organ of the National Pet 
Stock Association, and contains 
accurate reports of all the pet 
stock shows held in this country. 
It also has an unusual amount 
of interesting cavy news in each 
issue, and contains a large 
amount of high-grade adver- 
tising. 

Send 10 cents for sample copy 

THE PET 
STOCK 
WORLD 

650 N. CHESTER 
Baltimore, Maryland 

The Pet Stock World enjoys the 
reputation of being the oldest 
and most reliable pet stock 
magazine published. It is pub- 
lished by men who know, and 
reaches a worth while class of 
pet stock fanciers. 

Send 10 cents for sample copy 
and learn more of the possibili- 
ties ahead of you in the pet stock 
industry. 



Journal of Outdoor 
Enterprises 

Holmes Park, Missouri 

We do not wish to go into any 
lengthy argument about the 
high-class quality of our maga- 
zine, but ask you to please send 
for sample copy, which will leave 
no doubt in your mind that this 
is one of the livest and snappiest 
pet stock magazines ever pre- 
sented to the breeders and 
fanciers of pet stock. 
The Journal of Outdoor Enter- 
prises consists of: 

First Class News 
First Class Advertising 
First Class Subscribers 
Send 10 cents for sample copy 



DOMESTIC 
PETS 

WHITE OAKS, 
NEW MEXICO 

Domestic Pets is a pet stock 
magazine, always brimful of 
interesting news, such as the 
present-day fanciers want. It 
has been so successful in recent 
years that but few breeders and 
fanciers are not on our subs rip- 
tion list. Our readers thoroughly 
believe in Domestic Pets, their 
news and advertising, and a 
glance over some of its pages will 
convince you. 

Send 10 cents for sample copy. 



Please mention this book when writing advertisers 



Why you shouldjoin the 

UNITED CAVY BREEDERS ASSOCIATION 

Because the United Cavy Breeders Association is the only organiza- 
tion of its kind in America for the benefit of cavy breeders 
exclusively. 

Because our object is to breed and sell a higher class of Cavies and 
encourage breeders and fanciers all over the country to exhibit 
their stock. 

Because we are affiliated with the National Pet Stock Association 
and membership to our Association entitles you to the National 
Pet Stock Fancier, which is the official organ of the National Pet 
Stock Association, and comes out once a month. 

Send for literature and further information. Address all com- 
munications to the 

UNITED CAVY BREEDERS ASSOCIATION 

Edwin F. Deicke, Secy. 
Lombard, Illinois 



CAVIES 

Solid Blacks and Reds 

If you want blacks that are 
black, and reds that are red, in 
other words if you want exhibi- 
tion stock, let me supply you 
with the best. 

Geo. Lautenschlager 

Wcstmcre, Illinois 

P. O. Elmhurst 

Cavy Supplies 

We have a complete line of high- 
class cavy supplies, and will be 
glad to know your wants. Our 
prices are reasonable and the 
goods are in line with the high- 
class quality of our Cavies. 

York Cavy Supply Co. 
Lombard, Jllinois 



Soluble Pine 
Disinfectant 

Soluble Pine Disinfectant is a high- 
grade product made from pure fragrant 
souther oil with germicidal properties 
added. It has a most agreeable odor, 
containing over 65% of Wood Creosote, 
this making it a powerful disinfectant. 
It is nearly three times as strong as 
Carbolic Acid, but at the same time it 
is absolutely without any dangerous or 
corrosible qualities. 

Soluble Pine 
Disinfectant 

not only destroys germs, but 
also creates a pleasant and 
healthful atmosphere. 
Send five 2-cent stamps for 
sample to cover cost of packing 
and mailing. 

Edwin Schoenfeld 
2146 Rice Street, Chicago 



Please mention this book when writing advertisers 



QUALITY HILL CAVIARY 

W. A. Kirchner &i Sons 
Member N. P. S. A. — N. S. B. A.— K. P. & P. S. A. 

Box 335, KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS 

Breeders of High-Grade English Cavies in solid and Broken Colors 
for Pets, Breeding or Laboratory purposes 

Quality and Health Guaranteed. Write for 
Price List 



Court's Pet Stock Yards 

KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS 

We have Cavies for sale in Blacks, Reds, Whites, Chocolate, Creams, 

Golden and Silver Agoutis and Broken Colors 

Golden Ringneck Pheasants. Also eggs for hatching from prize 

winning Buttercups 

Prices Reasonable — Satisfaction Guaranteed 

State Vice Pres. of American Buttercup Club. 
Member of tiie N. P. S. A. 



C.R.Deardorff 

No. Judson, Indiana 

PET STOCK 
SPECIALIST 

Breeder and Judge 



My years of experience in breeding and 
studying, as well as judging Pet Stock 
and Poultry, enables me to give you the 
best that scientific breeding can produce 
in the following lines: 

ENGLISH CAVIES in all colors. 
Rabbits in leading varieties. 
Persian Cats and Poultry. 

Circulars and price lists sent on 
application 

SATISFACTION guaranteed 



OUR AIM 

Every show in the U. S. A. to 

include at least one Cavy with 

Blood Lines from 

The "High Grade" 
Caviary 

of 
T. A. Martin, Jr. 

Midland Park, New Jersey 

BE PREPARED! 

Raise Canaries and make money. 
Send to me for prices and advice 
on Canaries. Always have on 
hand over hundred fine young 
birds, in many varieties. Also 
have some fine Angora Kittens, 
Send 10 cents for descriptive 
booklet. 

Mrs. Elgia Gensemer 

Creston, Ohio 



Please mention this book when writing advertisers 



"Ebco" Products 

SANITARY 
STONEWARE JARS 

(For water or feed) 
lyi-mch, high by 5-inch diameter 

$1.50 per dozen 

2>^-inch high by 7-inch diameter 

$2.50 per dozen 

F. O. B. Chicago 

CONDITION POWDER 

3 oz. Package, 25c 

Galvanized Coop Cleaners with 

Wooden Handles, 35c each 



My Reputation- 
Guarantee 



-Your 



E. & B. Supply Co. 

(Not Inc.) 

Geo. C. Eckert, Manager 
2630 Winona Ave., Chicago 

TORTOISE 
and WHITES 

that win at every show 

My prize-winning Tortoise and 
White Cavies are the result of 
several years of careful breeding, 
and my efforts have been fully 
repaid by the character of my 
present high -class Cavies — A 
Strain — which has been defin- 
itely established. 

MY MOTTO: 
More and Better Cavies 

Will be glad to hear from persons 
interested in Tortoise and Whites 

Jas. E. Young 

3511 No. Keating Ave. 
CHICAGO 



The Home of High 
Grade Cavies 

RED ENGLISH 

RED DUTCH MARKS 

RED ABYSSINIANS 

J. R. SPALDING 
Breeder and Exhibitor 

Clinton Iowa 

W.G.ERWIN 

Sandwich Illinois 

Breeder of High Grade Cavies in 

Tortoise and White 

Reds 

Whites 

Peruvians 

SOLID 
COLOR 
CAVIES 

of which 

YOU CAN FEEL 
PROUD 

A trial order of my perfect solid 
color Cavies will convince you 
of their quality and winning 
ability. 

My Motto : 
Quality, Not Quantity 

Wm. Schoenfeld 
2146 Rice Street, Chicago 



Please mention this book when writing advertisers 



CAVIES 

The best money can buy 

When in the market for High 
Grade Breeding Stock write to 
me for prices and descriptions. 

Healthy Five-Month 

Old Breeding Stock 

A Specialty 

I always have on hand a nice 
supply of Tortoise and White, 
Reds, Blacks and Golden 
Agoutis. 

Stock the Best 
Prices Reasonable 

R. W. Nichols 

11161 Longwood Drive, Chicago 
Member of the U. C. B. A. 

Smooth Haired 
Cavies 

ALL STOCK 
GUARANTEED 

Nolte Brothers 

Members of the U. C. B. A., and 

proud of it too 
2049 Bradley Place, Chicago 

Springfield Caviary 

Carl Klein, Prop. 

940 N. Springfield Ave. 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 

CAVIES 

In all varieties 



Member of the U. C. B. A. 

Please mention this book 



THE GRANITE 
STATE CAVIARY 



"Ouality 
Counts" 



RALPH P. POPE 

Manager 

Bristol, N. H. 



Guilford Caviary 

John H. Cross, Prop. 

Breeder of 

English Tortoise and White 

and Solid Red Cavies 

2230 Guilford Ave. 
Baltimore, Md. 

25 Years a Breeder of 
Cavies 

Cavies Exclusively 

Exhibition and Utility Breeders 
in the English, Abyssinian and 
Peruvian varieties. 

Send for Illustrated Price List 

RYERSON BROTHERS 
CAVIARY 

7 So. "B" St., Herrington, Kans. 
when writing advertisers 



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I High -Class Cavies in | 

I All Varieties | 

I CAVIES OF RECOGNIZED STANDARD | 

M To be successful with Cavies — to make money M 

M with them — to make them a pleasure, and to M 

M make yourself a famous breeder of Cavies, it is M 

M absolutely necessary that you breed standard ^ 

= perfection stock, such stock that comes up to the M 

i standard in SIZE, SHAPE and COLOR. That g 

M is the answer for the phenomenal success of the M 

g York Cavy Farm. g 

I OUR MOTTO: SERVICE &i SATISFACTION | 

M All those who have had any dealings with the York Cavy ^ 

^ Farm know that the above motto is in reality a true state- M 

M ment. We have a large letter file full cf gratifying state- M 

^ ments from satisfied customers everywhere, who are now = 

^ realizing handsome profits from their Cavies purchased ^ 

M from The York Cavy F"arm. ^ 

I OUR THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF 1 

1 CAVIES ENABLES US TO GIVE YOU M 

I NOTHING BUT THE BEST g 

^ We have made a special study of Cavies, and our years of = 

^ experience in careful breeding are the result of our present = 

M high-class Cavy plant. We have a reputation second to M 

^ none, and our honest dealings have made friends for us = 

= everywhere. We give unequaled service in quick trans- = 

^ portation of stock — answering correspondence the same ^ 

^ day received, and also give a money-back guarantee with S 

M all Cavies sold. M 

I READY MARKET GUARANTEED TO ALL 1 

i BREEDERS OF OUR HIGH-CLASS CAVIES g 

^ Breeders of the Famous "York Cavy Farm" Strain ex- = 

^ perience no trouble whatever in disposing of their Cavies. ^ 

^ We buy back at attractive prices the offspring from all M 

^ stock sold to our customers. Our satisfied customers are M 

^ our best advertisements and we always keep in close touch = 

^ with them, assisting them wherever we can. M 

M Send for descriptive booklet showing ^ 

^ prices and stock for sale. ^ 

I YORK CAVY FARM | 

^ "The Home of Better Cavies" ^ 

g Edwin F. Deicke, A. P. Keller, Proprietors 8 

I LOMBARD, ILLINOIS | 

^ We are members of the following organizations: M 

^ United Cavy Breeders Association, Chicago Pet Stock Club, M 

^ and the National Pet Stock Association M 

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Please mention this book when writing advertisers 



